Refrigerate Immediatly

OOC: This is the first of my intro posts. Part two will be up tomorrow with Brett leaving stasis.

3,000,000 Years Ago….

The alarm had been going off for sometime. Red lights, klaxons, people running past the door en route to the stasis chambers. But none of that was important to Brett at that moment, his sole focus was on the matter at hand in front of him. Quickly he grabbed the necessary tools and put them to use. A bead of sweat slowly inched it’s way down his brow, taking a detour along the ridges of his forehead and sliding down the side of his face.

“Please pass me that filler, and make sure the lid is off, wouldn't be good to make a mess at this crucial juncture.” Brett said, holding out his hand but not looking up at his assistant.

“Sir, please, we have to get to the chambers, we already have to go down two levels if they aren't filled up. Then we’ll have another two to go down, if THOSE aren't already filled!” The short-haired blonde woman begged her superior, but handed him the can anyhow.

“Relax Penny, in all likelihood this is just another drill. But if we don’t get this finished, well, I don’t want to even think about the consequences.”

At that moment a monotone voice cut in from the overhead speakers. It was Holly, the Blue Dwarf’s on-board computer. “Emergency…….There is an emergency going on……...It’s still going on…….Emergency.”

“Siiirrrrrr!” Penny bit her bottom lip. “It’s not worth the risk!”

“Not worth it? Penny, I’m shocked to hear you say that. This HAS to be done now. We can’t wait until after the drill, it’ll be too…”

“This is NOT a drill. This is actually happening. Please proceed to the nearest cryogenics chamber. It’s really for your own good.” Holly again insisted.

“Ah.” Said Brett.

“SEE!” Panicked Penny.

With a final press of the can’s aerosol nozzle, Brett lifted his precious item and showed it to Penny, a grin that took up half his face beaming out at her.

“Great. Wonderful.” Penny said with less enthusiasm than Brett hoped for. “You've killed us over a smeggin’ cake.”

“What? It’s not just ANY cake, it’s for the Captain! Be a dear and get the oven door.” She did as she was told, at this point, why not? He popped it in and set the heat and timer.

“Ready?” She asked, throwing her apron disdainfully to the counter.

“Well, yes, we had better hadn’t we, there’s an emergency going on after all!” he grabbed her hand and headed for the door.

They ran down the corridor and saw a crowd in front the the elevator, pushing and shoving to get in the already overcrowded lifts. “See! See! Crowds! I knew it, YOU KILLED US OVER A CAKE!”

“It was a Boston Cream! Now follow me.” He pulled his erstwhile apprentice behind him, pushing past the unattainable lifts.

“Where the hell are you taking us? The stairs will be just as jammed!” At that moment the ship was rocked by an internal explosion, knocking the two of them off their feet. The sudden imbalance knocked Brett’s red holo specs off his face. He reached to retrieve them, noticing that the recipe for Venusian Chowder had popped up on the lens. Which reminded him he had to tell Donalson in Acquisitions to pick some Venusian Clams at the next port.

“Holly! Could you please inform me to the nature of that rather sudden disturbance?” Brett called out to the computer. “Thank you.”

“Well, it seems there was an explosion down in engineering, Chef Bishop.” Holly informed them.

“I see. Is it serious?”

“I’d say so, yes. You have about four minutes to get to a shielded stasis chamber.”

“What...what happens after, if we don’t?” Penny inquired while looking in vaguely the direction the disembodied voice came from.

“Good question, Penny” Brett praised.

“Well, that depends. Have you been treated to resist Cadmium II radiation?”

“No.” They said in unison.

“Well then, that’s simple enough. You’ll die.”

The two of them legged it down the corridor.

They arrived at the supply lift in record time, Brett hit the recall button. It only took a few seconds for it to arrive as he then punched the send button and threw himself and Penny in. There were no buttons or indicators in the pitch black interior. Penny gripped Brett’s hand tightly, he could feel her shaking, her palms were clammy. “Sir, I’m scared. I don’t think we’re going to make it.”

He removed his holo specs and with a whistle <audio mode engaged> a chocolate mousse recipe from France popped up, given them a little bit of illumination, the soft glow of the partial recipe projected across their faces…

¾ Cup chilled heavy cream, divided
4 large egg yolks
¼ espresso or strong coffee, room temperature

“We’ll make it. Don’t worry. Just be ready to run as if you’ve left the cake in the oven too long. Which, come to think about it, is likely to happen.”

“Sir, in case we don’t make it, I just wanted to say, it’s been an honour and a privilege working in your kitchen.”

“Penny dear, kneading your dough has been one of my greatest pleasures.”

The lift halted and the door slid open, quickly they rushed out only to see, much to their dismay, the emergency bulkheads closing in an attempt to contain the radiation now flooding throughout the ship. Brett hauled Penny behind him. “The ship’s storage level has four stasis chambers for the crew, but only two, Javier and Renaldo were on duty today.” He explained. “I know because I sent them down a fourteen inch assorted submarine sandwich, extra dijon mustard, to share amongst them. DUCK!” They both ducked under the first of three bulkheads descending with twenty feet between them and the next.

“The stasis chambers will keep any and all radiation out, nothing short of a sun or a dozen first generation microwaves can get through the shielding.” DUCK LOWER!” The two bent over and passed under the 2nd bulkhead. “One more to go, LEG IT”

“I can’t make it!” Penny cried.

The final bulkhead was ¾ of the way down and they still had ten feet to go. “We have to dive and slide, do it, do it now!” Brett let her hand go and dove, he slid across the threshold with two inches to spare, his apron being made of a friction-less material (and stain resistant) helped him glide across the polished floor. He spun around, ready to catch Penny.
And saw that she stopped short of the door. She had discarded her cook’s apron in the kitchen. The last image he saw of her, that of her arms reaching out to him, hands open and tears running down her frightened features.

The bulkhead shut, there were no windows that he could see her again through, the doors were two feet thick made of durasteel. They would not open again until the danger passed, there was a small chance that with her being between the two bulkheads, the radiation may not reach her. They were many levels above engineering, there was a chance…

“Holly, open bulkhead door two, corridor eight on level three hundred.”

“I’m sorry, Chef Bishop. You know I can’t. Now hurry and get to the stasis chamber, I detect a wave of radiation will be at your location in thirty seconds.”

She was gone. “I’m sorry, too.

He stumbled to his feet and walked jarringly to the hatchway. He entered the spacious storage hanger then located the chambers by the entrance. Two were occupied, by Javier and Renaldo, frozen in time and safe. The other two were empty. Brett Bishop hit the hatch release, stepped inside and slept for the next three million years.

Next: Please Immerse in Water to Thaw.