MoonMan
Inactive Member
The walk to the Head Administrators office was horrendously lengthy from any part of that station. Cassefin Montreal kept her personal quarters and office space in the upper decks of the Central station, and very few elevators made the trip between more than a couple of the more traveled areas of the station. It was, however, the first time Claire herself would have ever been summoned in such a fashion; it was relatively unheard of to be called to speak with Cassefin, rather than Cassefin simply yelling at one through a convenient volumetric screen. After making the harrowing journey, however, Claire would find herself standing in front of a single door, different from most on the station. It was made of wood, more eloquent in appearance than the stark off-white automatic sliding doors found in nearly every other hall of the Cirrus Station. Claire had seen it before, of course; it was the same door she and the rest of Squad 35 had been called to participate in a congratulatory dinner with the station Administrator... shortly before engaging in a one-sided stain-ball match only minutes after. The door itself remained closed at Claire's approach, and silent in the empty hall behind her.
Claire inhaled deeply, pausing a second before exhaling slowly. She knew this was coming, but no amount of going over it in her head made her feel any less uneasy. She was sure that Cassefin was not looking forward to it either... but things needed to be said and the record needed to be set straight. If it didn't... well, no. Cassefin surely understood what it was about and wouldn't agree to the meeting if she didn't also seek a resolution to the unease that plagued their interactions as well as their day to day work. She inwardly felt a little better about it knowing that she was doing this for Montreal's sake as much as her own.
Claire looked off to the side, noticing how ridiculously clean the corridor was, like she was going to make a big noticeable footprint with each step. She noticed that her somewhat distorted reflection stared back at her. She hadn't done it since her old job at the port, but for today she had actually tied her hair into a low ponytail. She had meant to get her hair cut a little when she moved onto Cirrus, but strangely she never found the time. Instead of her CSS uniform, which to be honest wasn't too flattering, She wore a light orange tanktop with lacy edges around her neck and arms, with slightly out of place tight jeans. She had no idea really why she wanted to dress casually for this... perhaps she didn't want stiff formality getting in the way of their talk. Again, she had a glove over one hand but not the other. She knew it was noticeable, but she hadn't had the chance to buy another pair and the other one had been lost forever now.
Returning her gaze to the door in front of her, she hesitated visibly, although no one except maybe Mimi was watching. Mentally forcing her hand forward, she rapped on the door three times audibly. But she didn't speak yet... she didn't think she needed to as surely Cassefin had the area in front of her door monitored.
"Come in," Cassefin's voice could be heard through a hidden speaker device above the door. The door opened by itself; despite the elaborate measures to make the door seem authentic, it would appear that it was still as automated as the rest. The room was very similar to how Claire would have remembered it from her last visit. The table in the center of the room was barren this time, of course, and the room itself was fairly dim. Off to her right, Claire could see that one area of the large living area was lit.
Cassefin's study was a nook of the living area that broke away from the dining area. Along one wall was her impossibly large trophy case, the glass front vibrantly reflecting the light from the fixtures above, the dazzling trophies, medals and frames diplomas resting behind them. The other wall held Montreal's extensive weapon collection; antique guns, exotic tools and hand-held weapons from past civilizations, as well as a couple of the more recently released firearms.
Head Administrator Montreal's desk was the only thing occupying the floor of the showroom/study itself, the large wooden study tucked neatly against the far wall, the smattering of firepower behind her making the entire scene odd. The desk itself was an absolute mess of manila folders, open books with multiple bookmarks flagged through the sitting pages, thick ringed binders and no less than 3 large blue thermos' filled with Cassefin's mysterious beverage of choice. There were two leather-cushioned seats set up in front of Cassefin's desk at that moment, which did not match the desk itself. In fact, on a second glance, it would appear that the Administrator had commandeered the seats from her dining set for the occasion.
Behind the mountain of paperwork sat Cassefin Montreal. The hour was, for most accounts, late; despite not being on an official time frame, the Cirrus Research Station kept with Nepleslian standard time and adhered its work hours to that time frame, mostly as a matter of personal preference. Claire's visit was roughly late, hours after a hard days work for most. The fiery redhead sat hunched over her desk, hair still done into its usual tight ponytail. The administrator had discarded her coat, however, settling to sit in her slacks and shirt/vest combination as she worked. Cassefin did not look up immediately at Claire's approach, instead taking her spectacles off and breathing in deeply as she looked up from her work, setting the glasses down on top of a small stack of documents in front of her. "Winters," Cassefin stared at Claire through her bright red eyes, the expression behind them tired and not all that vibrant. "Have a seat. You wanted to talk about something?"
Claire's green eyes stared back into Cassefin's. Her own expression not at all joyful or chipper like they usually were. When told to take a seat, she briefly held a hand out in front of her, "I'll pass for now, thanks." She slowly moved over to Cassefin's desk, being careful not to move too fast and knock any of her papers off. "I'm pretty sure you know what this is about, and I thank you for agreeing to take the time to settle this... It's been eating at me and possibly even affecting my job... and from the looks of you, you've had it just about as bad."
"Just so you know, anything I say or hear, to me, is off the record. I will not breathe a word of anything we talk about. I promise you that. I just... need to know where you stand."
Claire took a deep breath as she collected her thoughts. This was something she needed to get off her chest (so to speak), but it wasn't easy to do with Cassefin. "Back when Vinross-Yu first visited, they sabotaged out systems and killed a number of our dockworkers, then attempted to kill us. Officially, it was the acts of the pirates, and I can kind of understand why you needed to do that. I'm not here to debate what should and shouldn't have been done then."
"What I want... is to know what you truly believe. You hide a lot from us, Cassefin, and I get that sometimes it's necessary. But even if you say that they were innocent in this... I want to know that you don't believe that... that you intend to protect both yourself and those under you from any further attempts."
"I want to know that those people didn't die for nothing..."
As Cassefin listened to Claire's words, the administrator laced her fingers together and wrested her elbows upon her desk, pressing her lips gently against her thumbs as she gave Claire her attention. The Head Administrator didn't answer immediately, remaining silent as she pondered all of the things Claire could possibly mean, or what she could possibly already know. Cassefin knew that her security teams weren't stupid; Squad 35, for example, continued to give her cause for surprise. The last time they had seen each other, on the surface of Fortuna during their visit to the Vinross Yu-Cranker excavation site, it wasn't all too hard to realize that Cassefin knew more than she cared to speak of. Cassefin figured one of them would be more vocal about it... but there are some things that you can't prepare for fully.
Exhaling a long, drawn-out sigh, Cassefin cleared her throat and began to speak, her mouth still covered by her entwined hands but her eyes remaining fixated onto Claire's face. "Laj Vinross Yu is a very important person in Nepleslia society, Winters," Cassefin began. "Marissa Cranker as well. Between the two of them, they own roughly five powerful corporate giants, and Laj himself is a Nepleslian senator. Vinross Yu-Cranker Materials is a very large part of one of Nepleslia's major economies. Just accusing them of being involved in illegal acts isn't something that people would normally tolerate."
As soon as Cassefin had finished with her sentence, Kess appeared off to the side of the room, her volumetric image flickering for a moment as she faded into view. Cassefin turned her attention to the Savtech's image for a brief second, with which Kess simply nodded once before fading away again. The fiery-haired station Administrator turned back to Claire once more. "I know what they did, Winters," Cassefin started again, a sharp look of annoyance and anger crossing her tired eyes, her whole demeanor changing for a brief moment. "Laj, Marissa and their paid-off monkies can cover up as much as they want, but I have the means of finding out what I need to know. I am a genius, Winters, and the Head Administrator of one of the leading research facility in the galaxy. I don't do ignorant. I can't afford to."
"What happened that day was regrettable," Cassefin started a final time as she pulled back into her chair and leaned into its soft confines. "I knew Vinross Yu-Cranker wanted to come personally for some reason. I just didn't know what that reason was until it happened. They didn't do it alone, either; the information Kess was able to derive from that computer mainframe you and the rest of Squad 35 reached on Fortuna taught me that much. Someone in my employ was helping them. And I have yet to find out who... they're being much more careful, now that they know I'm on to them," Cassefin spoke boldly, her anger finding new direction away from Claire at the moment.
Claire's features lightened up slightly as Cassefin explained her position. She suspected as much from the woman, but as for the reason she came here... "Thank you, Ma'am. I know you aren't dull-witted, and I was not implying you were. I just needed to hear from your lips that you were on your guard against them..." There was a slight pause before she gave a weak smile. "Though on the unlikely chance you didn't believe me... I don't think I could've followed your orders. Not without loathing myself for it... I'm very happy it didn't come to that."
"I just wanted to make sure I could... well, trust you. It... angers me that they can just do something like that and get away with it. I know violent crimes are common in Nepleslia, but not on the scale that it occurred. It makes me sick to think about it. I want to do something about it, and it pains me that I can't." Claire paused for when Kess appeared, offering a smile to her savtech friend. Her attention returning to Cassefin when she left abruptly.
"Someone here, huh...? I guess that would make sense, but I don't know what would possess them to do it... aside from money I guess." The bitter taste in Claire's mouth as she said it showed in her expression as her eyes diverted to the floor next to her. Whatever anyone said about her 'loose' morals, she did have virtues and upheld them in her actions and behaviors. Even if to a fault. "Ma'am... If I may say so... I am with you on this. I would never work with them and especially not for what they did. If there is any way that I can help you figure out who would... I will." Claire returned her gaze to Cassefin, a look of indignation on her face. "Thanks to you allaying my fears... I am willing to trust you. If you would please... trust me in turn to help you. I don't know exactly what else I can do for you besides protecting your person, but if there is, please let me know and I will do it for you." As she finished saying it, she went through a list in her head of people she knew that might have done it. The number of them was astonishing, really. A lot of people were generally unknown quantities, even some of the people in her own squad! Perhaps she would have to do a bit of investigating later...
As Claire went on, Cassefin's shoulders slackened and her expression softened a small bit. No longer angry or agitated, but simply tired and empathetic. Before speaking, however, the Head Administrator cleared her throat and resumed her authority as Claire's superior in the situation. "Well, Winter, I appreciate the effort you put in here, and your squad have been doing some impressive work," Cassefin spoke, dropping their previous exchange of emotions. "I hope you continue to do your best."
Claire nodded courteously. She realized that Cassefin wasn't going to open up to her yet and she hadn't expected her to. What she did get from her was plenty of a victory for her own state of mind. But of course, one cannot have this and not open the door for further talks...
"Thank you, ma'am. I can work with my mind at ease then. Also, if it's not too much trouble... I would like to treat you to a meal sometime, to thank you for your trust. If you ever have a spare moment, I'd like you to try some new health recipes I looked up in my spare time. I think they could be quite delicious and I would love to share it with you. Perhaps even share the recipes themselves!" There was a short pause before she smiled and added, "Of course, they are non-fattening. I paid special attention to the ingredients and the nutrition values when I looked these up. You won't have to worry."
Cassefin raised an eyebrow at Claire's offer. The Head Administrator didn't figure her to be one who really enjoyed the extent of healthy living as she did, especially after watching the woman consume all manners of foodstuffs from the camera system she had installed in the kitchen she had been forced to award the squad. The very fact that they had not ran out of the produce she had given them back in the beginning reeked of foul play... Cassefin figured they must have a contraband contact on the ship, but had been unable to find any proof. "Oh really?" Cassefin said in a skeptical tone, somewhat interested none-the-less. "What exactly did you have in mind? What are these 'recipes'?"
"Well Ma'am, I actually have a variety. There are of course a number of different salads you could try to start out, Various fruits and vegetables in decent quantities, and thanks to the latest food technology, even a few recipes for things like beef or pork. You'd be surprised what they have for health. The trick is of course in both preparation and serving size. It may not be a feast, but you will be able to have your fill. This is, of course, not something I can do regularly, nor is it something you should eat more than once or twice a week, if that. But there's a lot of nutrition that you need in your diet, and there's some interesting ways to put it all together that I think you would rather like. Of course, I can give some lee-way to whatever your personal preferences may be. I do have some whole wheat bread which is pretty crucial to a healthy balanced diet, as long as you don't overindulge." Claire's lengthy explanation showed how excited she was for the idea of feeding her boss.
A smirk began to form along the ends of Cassefin's mouth as Claire explained away. "Miss Winters, I'm afraid you don't have access to the means of which to creating actual health food," Cassefin said smugly, knowing that the facilities in which she creates her own foods which the Cirrus Station enjoyed on a regular basis remain locked at all times when she wasn't there experimenting with a new formula or checking the production queues. "My foodstuffs take the healthiest parts of each ingredient and amplify their nutritious values. I'm afraid simply messing about in a kitchen with a bowl of lettuce doesn't constitute as true healthy cooking. Which is why they are so popular on the Cirrus Station," Cassefin said with a particularly snide confidence in her work. Being the only food available on the Cirrus Station (aside from the previously mentioned contraband, which was becoming a thorn in her side) didn't hurt the sales of her products either.
Claire shook her head in a little disappointment. "Cassie, dear... I'm hurt! I'm offering to procure the ingredients with my own money in order to make a healthy wholesome meal for you! I promise, on my honor that there is nothing that will make you ill or anything that will ruin your figure. I know how to do this, and I want to share it with you. I'm sure your regular food is something you put a lot of love into, but as they say, variety is the spice of life! I want to give you some variety dear. And maybe it'll even give you some ideas! You don't have to worry about anything else, just say you'll stop by and I'll be ready for you, ok?"
Any chance to prove her dominance over Claire in any fashion was ripe for plucking in Cassefin's eyes. "I'll allow you to make these supposed recipes, then. I'll go one step further and make it a new item on the vending machines if I like it and it's up to my standards," Cassefin upped the ante on her self-proposed challenge, confident in her perceived view of Claire's inability to make real healthy food with such rudimentary means. The red-haired administrated thrusted her nose upward a tad, smiling haughtily at the woman. "How does that sound, Miss Winters?"
Claire crossed her arms in a 'are you serious?' way. "Ms. Montreal, what I intend to cook for you won't fit in any vending machine and you know it. That is completely unfair. I only meant for you to perhaps use the ideas to make your own fun little items. I'm not making a game out of this. I just want to do something nice for you. Is that so wrong?" Claire tilted her head. She wasn't thick, she knew that Cassefin was getting at something else, even if she wasn't aware of what it was exactly.
Cassefin shrugged her shoulders and casually held her palms upward in a dismissive fashion, casting her eyes away for a moment. "If you don't feel up to it, Winters, I understand. Why don't you just give it your best shot and we'll move on from that point, eh?"
Claire let her arms fall to her sides. "Ma'am... I'm just trying to be nice. Can we let it be that simple? And I also need to ask you let me know at least a day in advance. This stuff can take a little while to cook."
"Whenever you have the time to prepare it, just tell me," Cassefin said, leaning back into her chair. "I'll make time in my busy schedule to come and put it to the test. Just don't expect any miracles for a sloppy job," the Head Administrator warned with a sly smile, confident in her ability to dislike anything Claire had to offer.
Claire inhaled deeply, pausing a second before exhaling slowly. She knew this was coming, but no amount of going over it in her head made her feel any less uneasy. She was sure that Cassefin was not looking forward to it either... but things needed to be said and the record needed to be set straight. If it didn't... well, no. Cassefin surely understood what it was about and wouldn't agree to the meeting if she didn't also seek a resolution to the unease that plagued their interactions as well as their day to day work. She inwardly felt a little better about it knowing that she was doing this for Montreal's sake as much as her own.
Claire looked off to the side, noticing how ridiculously clean the corridor was, like she was going to make a big noticeable footprint with each step. She noticed that her somewhat distorted reflection stared back at her. She hadn't done it since her old job at the port, but for today she had actually tied her hair into a low ponytail. She had meant to get her hair cut a little when she moved onto Cirrus, but strangely she never found the time. Instead of her CSS uniform, which to be honest wasn't too flattering, She wore a light orange tanktop with lacy edges around her neck and arms, with slightly out of place tight jeans. She had no idea really why she wanted to dress casually for this... perhaps she didn't want stiff formality getting in the way of their talk. Again, she had a glove over one hand but not the other. She knew it was noticeable, but she hadn't had the chance to buy another pair and the other one had been lost forever now.
Returning her gaze to the door in front of her, she hesitated visibly, although no one except maybe Mimi was watching. Mentally forcing her hand forward, she rapped on the door three times audibly. But she didn't speak yet... she didn't think she needed to as surely Cassefin had the area in front of her door monitored.
"Come in," Cassefin's voice could be heard through a hidden speaker device above the door. The door opened by itself; despite the elaborate measures to make the door seem authentic, it would appear that it was still as automated as the rest. The room was very similar to how Claire would have remembered it from her last visit. The table in the center of the room was barren this time, of course, and the room itself was fairly dim. Off to her right, Claire could see that one area of the large living area was lit.
Cassefin's study was a nook of the living area that broke away from the dining area. Along one wall was her impossibly large trophy case, the glass front vibrantly reflecting the light from the fixtures above, the dazzling trophies, medals and frames diplomas resting behind them. The other wall held Montreal's extensive weapon collection; antique guns, exotic tools and hand-held weapons from past civilizations, as well as a couple of the more recently released firearms.
Head Administrator Montreal's desk was the only thing occupying the floor of the showroom/study itself, the large wooden study tucked neatly against the far wall, the smattering of firepower behind her making the entire scene odd. The desk itself was an absolute mess of manila folders, open books with multiple bookmarks flagged through the sitting pages, thick ringed binders and no less than 3 large blue thermos' filled with Cassefin's mysterious beverage of choice. There were two leather-cushioned seats set up in front of Cassefin's desk at that moment, which did not match the desk itself. In fact, on a second glance, it would appear that the Administrator had commandeered the seats from her dining set for the occasion.
Behind the mountain of paperwork sat Cassefin Montreal. The hour was, for most accounts, late; despite not being on an official time frame, the Cirrus Research Station kept with Nepleslian standard time and adhered its work hours to that time frame, mostly as a matter of personal preference. Claire's visit was roughly late, hours after a hard days work for most. The fiery redhead sat hunched over her desk, hair still done into its usual tight ponytail. The administrator had discarded her coat, however, settling to sit in her slacks and shirt/vest combination as she worked. Cassefin did not look up immediately at Claire's approach, instead taking her spectacles off and breathing in deeply as she looked up from her work, setting the glasses down on top of a small stack of documents in front of her. "Winters," Cassefin stared at Claire through her bright red eyes, the expression behind them tired and not all that vibrant. "Have a seat. You wanted to talk about something?"
Claire's green eyes stared back into Cassefin's. Her own expression not at all joyful or chipper like they usually were. When told to take a seat, she briefly held a hand out in front of her, "I'll pass for now, thanks." She slowly moved over to Cassefin's desk, being careful not to move too fast and knock any of her papers off. "I'm pretty sure you know what this is about, and I thank you for agreeing to take the time to settle this... It's been eating at me and possibly even affecting my job... and from the looks of you, you've had it just about as bad."
"Just so you know, anything I say or hear, to me, is off the record. I will not breathe a word of anything we talk about. I promise you that. I just... need to know where you stand."
Claire took a deep breath as she collected her thoughts. This was something she needed to get off her chest (so to speak), but it wasn't easy to do with Cassefin. "Back when Vinross-Yu first visited, they sabotaged out systems and killed a number of our dockworkers, then attempted to kill us. Officially, it was the acts of the pirates, and I can kind of understand why you needed to do that. I'm not here to debate what should and shouldn't have been done then."
"What I want... is to know what you truly believe. You hide a lot from us, Cassefin, and I get that sometimes it's necessary. But even if you say that they were innocent in this... I want to know that you don't believe that... that you intend to protect both yourself and those under you from any further attempts."
"I want to know that those people didn't die for nothing..."
As Cassefin listened to Claire's words, the administrator laced her fingers together and wrested her elbows upon her desk, pressing her lips gently against her thumbs as she gave Claire her attention. The Head Administrator didn't answer immediately, remaining silent as she pondered all of the things Claire could possibly mean, or what she could possibly already know. Cassefin knew that her security teams weren't stupid; Squad 35, for example, continued to give her cause for surprise. The last time they had seen each other, on the surface of Fortuna during their visit to the Vinross Yu-Cranker excavation site, it wasn't all too hard to realize that Cassefin knew more than she cared to speak of. Cassefin figured one of them would be more vocal about it... but there are some things that you can't prepare for fully.
Exhaling a long, drawn-out sigh, Cassefin cleared her throat and began to speak, her mouth still covered by her entwined hands but her eyes remaining fixated onto Claire's face. "Laj Vinross Yu is a very important person in Nepleslia society, Winters," Cassefin began. "Marissa Cranker as well. Between the two of them, they own roughly five powerful corporate giants, and Laj himself is a Nepleslian senator. Vinross Yu-Cranker Materials is a very large part of one of Nepleslia's major economies. Just accusing them of being involved in illegal acts isn't something that people would normally tolerate."
As soon as Cassefin had finished with her sentence, Kess appeared off to the side of the room, her volumetric image flickering for a moment as she faded into view. Cassefin turned her attention to the Savtech's image for a brief second, with which Kess simply nodded once before fading away again. The fiery-haired station Administrator turned back to Claire once more. "I know what they did, Winters," Cassefin started again, a sharp look of annoyance and anger crossing her tired eyes, her whole demeanor changing for a brief moment. "Laj, Marissa and their paid-off monkies can cover up as much as they want, but I have the means of finding out what I need to know. I am a genius, Winters, and the Head Administrator of one of the leading research facility in the galaxy. I don't do ignorant. I can't afford to."
"What happened that day was regrettable," Cassefin started a final time as she pulled back into her chair and leaned into its soft confines. "I knew Vinross Yu-Cranker wanted to come personally for some reason. I just didn't know what that reason was until it happened. They didn't do it alone, either; the information Kess was able to derive from that computer mainframe you and the rest of Squad 35 reached on Fortuna taught me that much. Someone in my employ was helping them. And I have yet to find out who... they're being much more careful, now that they know I'm on to them," Cassefin spoke boldly, her anger finding new direction away from Claire at the moment.
Claire's features lightened up slightly as Cassefin explained her position. She suspected as much from the woman, but as for the reason she came here... "Thank you, Ma'am. I know you aren't dull-witted, and I was not implying you were. I just needed to hear from your lips that you were on your guard against them..." There was a slight pause before she gave a weak smile. "Though on the unlikely chance you didn't believe me... I don't think I could've followed your orders. Not without loathing myself for it... I'm very happy it didn't come to that."
"I just wanted to make sure I could... well, trust you. It... angers me that they can just do something like that and get away with it. I know violent crimes are common in Nepleslia, but not on the scale that it occurred. It makes me sick to think about it. I want to do something about it, and it pains me that I can't." Claire paused for when Kess appeared, offering a smile to her savtech friend. Her attention returning to Cassefin when she left abruptly.
"Someone here, huh...? I guess that would make sense, but I don't know what would possess them to do it... aside from money I guess." The bitter taste in Claire's mouth as she said it showed in her expression as her eyes diverted to the floor next to her. Whatever anyone said about her 'loose' morals, she did have virtues and upheld them in her actions and behaviors. Even if to a fault. "Ma'am... If I may say so... I am with you on this. I would never work with them and especially not for what they did. If there is any way that I can help you figure out who would... I will." Claire returned her gaze to Cassefin, a look of indignation on her face. "Thanks to you allaying my fears... I am willing to trust you. If you would please... trust me in turn to help you. I don't know exactly what else I can do for you besides protecting your person, but if there is, please let me know and I will do it for you." As she finished saying it, she went through a list in her head of people she knew that might have done it. The number of them was astonishing, really. A lot of people were generally unknown quantities, even some of the people in her own squad! Perhaps she would have to do a bit of investigating later...
As Claire went on, Cassefin's shoulders slackened and her expression softened a small bit. No longer angry or agitated, but simply tired and empathetic. Before speaking, however, the Head Administrator cleared her throat and resumed her authority as Claire's superior in the situation. "Well, Winter, I appreciate the effort you put in here, and your squad have been doing some impressive work," Cassefin spoke, dropping their previous exchange of emotions. "I hope you continue to do your best."
Claire nodded courteously. She realized that Cassefin wasn't going to open up to her yet and she hadn't expected her to. What she did get from her was plenty of a victory for her own state of mind. But of course, one cannot have this and not open the door for further talks...
"Thank you, ma'am. I can work with my mind at ease then. Also, if it's not too much trouble... I would like to treat you to a meal sometime, to thank you for your trust. If you ever have a spare moment, I'd like you to try some new health recipes I looked up in my spare time. I think they could be quite delicious and I would love to share it with you. Perhaps even share the recipes themselves!" There was a short pause before she smiled and added, "Of course, they are non-fattening. I paid special attention to the ingredients and the nutrition values when I looked these up. You won't have to worry."
Cassefin raised an eyebrow at Claire's offer. The Head Administrator didn't figure her to be one who really enjoyed the extent of healthy living as she did, especially after watching the woman consume all manners of foodstuffs from the camera system she had installed in the kitchen she had been forced to award the squad. The very fact that they had not ran out of the produce she had given them back in the beginning reeked of foul play... Cassefin figured they must have a contraband contact on the ship, but had been unable to find any proof. "Oh really?" Cassefin said in a skeptical tone, somewhat interested none-the-less. "What exactly did you have in mind? What are these 'recipes'?"
"Well Ma'am, I actually have a variety. There are of course a number of different salads you could try to start out, Various fruits and vegetables in decent quantities, and thanks to the latest food technology, even a few recipes for things like beef or pork. You'd be surprised what they have for health. The trick is of course in both preparation and serving size. It may not be a feast, but you will be able to have your fill. This is, of course, not something I can do regularly, nor is it something you should eat more than once or twice a week, if that. But there's a lot of nutrition that you need in your diet, and there's some interesting ways to put it all together that I think you would rather like. Of course, I can give some lee-way to whatever your personal preferences may be. I do have some whole wheat bread which is pretty crucial to a healthy balanced diet, as long as you don't overindulge." Claire's lengthy explanation showed how excited she was for the idea of feeding her boss.
A smirk began to form along the ends of Cassefin's mouth as Claire explained away. "Miss Winters, I'm afraid you don't have access to the means of which to creating actual health food," Cassefin said smugly, knowing that the facilities in which she creates her own foods which the Cirrus Station enjoyed on a regular basis remain locked at all times when she wasn't there experimenting with a new formula or checking the production queues. "My foodstuffs take the healthiest parts of each ingredient and amplify their nutritious values. I'm afraid simply messing about in a kitchen with a bowl of lettuce doesn't constitute as true healthy cooking. Which is why they are so popular on the Cirrus Station," Cassefin said with a particularly snide confidence in her work. Being the only food available on the Cirrus Station (aside from the previously mentioned contraband, which was becoming a thorn in her side) didn't hurt the sales of her products either.
Claire shook her head in a little disappointment. "Cassie, dear... I'm hurt! I'm offering to procure the ingredients with my own money in order to make a healthy wholesome meal for you! I promise, on my honor that there is nothing that will make you ill or anything that will ruin your figure. I know how to do this, and I want to share it with you. I'm sure your regular food is something you put a lot of love into, but as they say, variety is the spice of life! I want to give you some variety dear. And maybe it'll even give you some ideas! You don't have to worry about anything else, just say you'll stop by and I'll be ready for you, ok?"
Any chance to prove her dominance over Claire in any fashion was ripe for plucking in Cassefin's eyes. "I'll allow you to make these supposed recipes, then. I'll go one step further and make it a new item on the vending machines if I like it and it's up to my standards," Cassefin upped the ante on her self-proposed challenge, confident in her perceived view of Claire's inability to make real healthy food with such rudimentary means. The red-haired administrated thrusted her nose upward a tad, smiling haughtily at the woman. "How does that sound, Miss Winters?"
Claire crossed her arms in a 'are you serious?' way. "Ms. Montreal, what I intend to cook for you won't fit in any vending machine and you know it. That is completely unfair. I only meant for you to perhaps use the ideas to make your own fun little items. I'm not making a game out of this. I just want to do something nice for you. Is that so wrong?" Claire tilted her head. She wasn't thick, she knew that Cassefin was getting at something else, even if she wasn't aware of what it was exactly.
Cassefin shrugged her shoulders and casually held her palms upward in a dismissive fashion, casting her eyes away for a moment. "If you don't feel up to it, Winters, I understand. Why don't you just give it your best shot and we'll move on from that point, eh?"
Claire let her arms fall to her sides. "Ma'am... I'm just trying to be nice. Can we let it be that simple? And I also need to ask you let me know at least a day in advance. This stuff can take a little while to cook."
"Whenever you have the time to prepare it, just tell me," Cassefin said, leaning back into her chair. "I'll make time in my busy schedule to come and put it to the test. Just don't expect any miracles for a sloppy job," the Head Administrator warned with a sly smile, confident in her ability to dislike anything Claire had to offer.
