The small planetary shuttle was almost empty on the trip to the surface. As was the case in most systems, there was always more going off the planets than back to them. Mike smiled and leaned back and closed his eyes but Dee was a bit nervous and kept bringing him back to the moment with questions about the safety of the trip and why they were doing it in the first place.
“I told you, I want to thank a pilot for the courtesies she has shown me and offered to treat her to dinner. I decided I would do the cooking myself.”
Dee looked at him with a quiet and reserved expression, but he plowed on.
“I also pointed out that this is just dinner. I have no romantic or even physical agenda aside from eating with her.” He paused. “I like cookin, it be my relax time. To do it right takes a mix of art and exactness. There no be a lot o that sort o ting for me round here. When I fly I have the shoot and bang but it lacks the art.”
Once again Dee noticed that when he thought about food Mike’s accent started to slip in, stronger the more he gave thought to it. “I know, but if she is as dangerous as you say, as people have been telling you then why are you cooking her dinner?”
“I offered and I like to keep my word.” Mike shrugged. The shuttle started to rattle and lurch side to side. “Looks like we are hitting the atmosphere. Best we buckle up.” Putting words to action he pulled the harness down and across his body then helped Dee with hers as she fumbled with the straps.
“I hate planet-fall.” she whispered, more to herself than to him. “I was born on a station and have lived on one all my life. The sky . . . scares me. I like a roof over my head.”
“I know, cherie, but I won’t be long. Just visiting a few friends and getting some supplies.” Mike Assured her, taking one of her hands in his.
“That is the point, why can’t you buy supplies up on the station? You could even make some sort of special order.” The shuttle lurched again and she squeaked and clutched his hand tightly.
Mike smiled thinly, hoping his fingers were not broken. “I checked out how fresh is fresh on the station. If I buy it right on the hour that it arrives it is about three days old. Now I know it has been kept cold and as well as they can but three days is three days. If I am gonna be cookin ma best, I needs betta than three day old fish. An the shrimp. Well tree day ole shrimp not be good for even tourist gumbo. So iffen ah wants the fresh ah goota be fetchin in or making ma own contacts. An dat sorta ting ya does in person, not on da comms.”
“Why?” Dee worked on the comms everyday and was almost more comfortable with them than in person.
“Well, take the CSM for instance.” Mike said looking out the view-port at the high altitude clouds scudding past. “They do all their work on comms and it shows sometimes. Their second meeting was a couple of weeks ago and a lot of it was spent discussing protocols and methods. They were trying to decide how to share out 48 different ideas and issues that had been passed down to them from the last CSM council and deal with them given the short time-line they are facing.”
“These are things already discussed and decided?” Her grip on his hand had relaxed a bit, now that she was focusing on something.
‘Yes, so they do not need to be redebated. That being said, some of the people who were not part of the decision making process want to have a chance to prioritize and work on those issues as well. It is just making the issue go through another set of hands and making it ‘three day old fish’. Ankhesentapemkah made a good argument for trying to retask some issues that have been set to the side before to make sure that they are given better consideration this time. When told that Ankh replied
so they need more kicking in the nuts
Well, when I read that I nearly lost it. I am betting that the people they are going to be taking their issues to may be a bit . . . nervous.”
Dee giggled and relaxed a bit more.
“So they then started discussing protocols for communicating. Seems every CSM has this discussion and every time they come back to the same conclusion. Stick with what you know works.”
“Like you and fresh fish?”
“Exactly.
This is a proposal to ask CCP to evaluate their attitude towards Eve development and truly commit to developing excellent features instead of half-finished ones.
as Dierdra Vaal said. Or to put it in my own terms, ‘make sure the cookin be done afore you be puttin it on the table to eat’.” Mike grinned and leaned back.
“Didn’t you campaign on that platform?”
“Ayup. But so did some other folks, they just campaigned better. I hope this one makes it through because it is important.”
Dee nodded and sneaked a peek out of the window. A coastline was sweping closer and she could see a city in a small cove. “That where we are going?”
“I hope so, excellence is such a nice destination to consider. It’s why I keep coming back to you.”
Dee punched him in the arm, lightly as the shuttle made the final approach and they prepared to go shopping.
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Lessons
Link to issues passed forth from the CSM4
I know that there are new and better ways to share info but I can see the CSM 21 still arguing about this and still using the same tech and methods CSM1 did. We grow comfortable in our means of communications and protocols. If you doubt this, look at almost any legeslative assembly and see the robes, panache and people carrying medieval weapons.
m
A Missioneer in Eve 