All things considered, Erik thought there was no chance for things to go sideways now, so he agreed with Doreen "Actually, you're right. Celebration is in order."
He smiled widely, then went on "Doctor Naggar, Miss Valders... I'm inviting you both for a small party at the Corvin Estate, in three hours from now. I'll send word to the rest of the project's team to come as well." Certainly, there had been a few complications... and the project was far from finality. But, it was an unexpected and most valuable breakthrough and Erik wanted the team to mark the moment.
As Valders accepted the invitation, Erik gave her a smirk and commented "Well then, feel free to go home and get ready. I'll sort things here before I leave." She smiled and thanked him for the offer, then picked up her things and went on her way. Erik went to one of the consoles and started tapping buttons, the equipment slowly folding into rectangular form for transport. While he was at it, he glanced at Doreen and added "If you want, you could do the same, doctor. I'll be done here in an hour or so anyway... After that, I can pick you up on my way to the Estate."
He let out a small chuckle as he continued "As for dinner, I'm sure my kitchen is equipped with everything you might need." A bit of an arrogant afterthought. He didn't mean it as such, of course, but he was always a bit proud of his work's results... and his automated home was one such result. He kept working in an orderly fashion on setting up the equipment for transport.
Doreen gave some instruction to her staff on all of the patients. It had been a long stretch for them all. She congratulated them for their success and thanked them for their hard work. With the new shift on, the turnover was necessary. While she was at it, she made a check on all of the patients. All were steady and recovering even if some had a lengthy road before them. She then went over to Erik, "Since Ben is at your place already, I'll take advantage of it, head home and change into something more relaxing." She then went over to Dr. Valders and shook her hand, "We accomplished a lot here today. Thank you for that and the lessons learned. I see a great future as we work together." With that, she grabbed her purse and headed for home.
Residence of Dr. Doreen Naggar, New Thessolonica, Planet Yuma
It was quiet. She didn't mind pouring herself a glass of wine while she was getting herself ready. She showered and fixed her hair letting her long locks down. She used a different fragrance of perfume. Still, not too strong but different about the neck and chest.
She sipped her wine as she looked through her jewelry box. Some gold hoop earings and bracelets seemed fitting and a watch.
Since this wasn't a formal party but a casual professional celebration, she opted for a blue, low cut blouse as it accented her hair. Finishing her wine, she headed for Erik's.
Corvin Estate
She arrived somewhat early so that she could see her son. She missed him. When she arrived, Erik greeted her at the door. She leaned into him and whispered, "Thank you for taking care of Benjen." She then gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, pulled back and waited for her charging son.
"Mooooooom!" hollered Benjen as he came running towards the door and jumped on his Mom. She caught him and hugged him. She then went over to a couch and sat with him.
"I missed you, Mom," he told her.
"I missed you, too," she answered smiling. "So did you have a good time?"
He got excited, "Mom, this place is so kool! They have a ball field and....and....."
She laughed at his excitement, "So I hear!"
"And Peter has so many things to play with," he continued.
"I know, Baby," she said as she hugged him tight. She then leaned into him a bit, "I think we should go over and see Peter."
Ben jumped off of her lap and, taking her hand, brought her over to Peter.
"Hello, Peter," she greeted smiling, "I see that you and Ben had a great time."
Corvin Estate, New Thessalonica, Planet Yuma, Coronado
5 Aug. 824 A.S.
Erik had arrived home only ten minutes before Doreen arrived, so he didn't have the time to change or do much. He had just said hello to the boys himself before having to answer the door. Doreen didn't seem to notice it, however, and her thanking gesture made him partially blush. That's why he hurriedly stepped aside, letting Ben charge at his mother, while he excused himself and went upstairs to change.
About five minutes later, he came down to see Doreen with both kids in the living room. "Hello, Peter," she greeted smiling, "I see that you and Ben had a great time." "We did!" the boy declared. "Ben's so good at playing volley. I guess it's because he's tall." Of course, for a six-year-old, anyone older than him would seem tall. "Ahem." - Erik interrupted. He was wearing a casual pair of brown jeans with a long-sleeved, grey shirt and all other accessories were gone, except for his glasses. "So..." - he began, while taking a seat in one of the chairs present - "I never got the chance to ask. Where did you send that other patient?"
There was at least an hour or more before the others would arrive. Right now, he was content with taking a moment to relax and small-talk with Doreen and the two boys.
Benjen ran off to keep playing with Peter with that occasional pestering Mom for something. Beyond that, she had time to relax a bit and she seized the opportunity with a glass of her favorite wine.
"You have a very, lovely place, Erik," she complimented as she scanned around where she stood. She admired how he kept a clean home. She knew from experience that being a working, single parent wasn't easy. Quietly, she really found it to be attractive.
"I never got the chance to ask. Where did you send that other patient?"
She gave a light sigh and a soft yet straight face. The subject was going to come up eventually.
"I sent him to Med Force One," she began as she sat in a chair across from him, crossing her legs while placing her drink in her lap. Her right hand was wrapped around the stem of the wine glass, her left resting on the arm of the chair.
"There's no way I can explain this without a story. I sent him there because aboard Med Force One is the premier burn center, at least, that I know of, in Sirius. It was born in a system that has seen nothing but fighting, fighting between Corsairs, Mollies, Bounty Hunters, Outcasts, Bretonians and Lord only knows who else," she explained. "When I interned there, I saw on a constant basis the end result of these wars. People like the man I sent were an everyday occurrence. Men and women burned beyond recognition, missing limbs or worse. That is the environment I interned in."
She took a sip of her wine and continued, her face professional in appearance, "The Burn Ward. It got to a point where skin graphs weren't enough and nanite therapy was but in it's infancy. Now, I don't know where John got it but he was given a machine by someone who cared. He named it the Rejuvenator."
She put her glass down and uploaded a picture on Erik's datapad for him to see.
"It's a crude picture and it may look simple but what it does is simply amazing," she explained. "The patient lies on the slab totally naked and asleep. The overhead bar slowly passes over the body over the course of several hours and it completely reconditions the burned or even severely scarred skin to like new condition. The patient cannot move for twenty four hours or deformities in the skin will show."
She sat back and continued, "John only used it in severe cases for two reasons. One, people who were burned beyond recognition, like our pilot. The other? The power demands on the system are extreme so he has to shut down a lot of systems to use it. But the end result will be worth it so that is why I sent our pilot there."
She then cracked a light smile. "There are only two known in existence. One of which you now know about, the other was at Canaria Medical but we couldn't get the power set up to make it functional. I expressed an interest in it and um......seeing the Crayter technology here, um.....perhaps we could make it work?"
Corvin Estate, New Thessalonica, Planet Yuma, Coronado
5 Aug. 824 A.S.
Med Force One - home of John Holliday... one of the greatest philanthropic souls in Sirius, or at least that's what Erik knew of the man. Reputation alone was enough though, considering the sources were more than reliable. Erik simply leaned back in his chair and quietly listened to Doreen with intent in his eyes.
It wasn't hard for him to imagine what Doreen's internship must've been like. The second Exodus Erik went through was heavily powdered with the sight of fire and it's effects, given the ferocity of the Gallic armada. Then Doreen mentioned the Rejuvenator. Erik perked upwards a bit, his interest growing, especially considering the scientific relevance of the situation. As he viewed the picture from Doreen, he tried to imagine the effects such a device might have. As she explained further, he thought of his own nanite project. After it would be finished, most certainly, it could as well help burn victims... however the only drawback would be that the nanites can't (at least not yet) work over scarred tissue... so if a patient were too be left waiting too long, the nanites would become useless in such a situation.
"I expressed an interest in it and um......seeing the Crayter technology here, um.....perhaps we could make it work?"
As Doreen posed her question, Erik was still putting pieces together in his mind. He leaned back once more and replied on a neutral tone "I think it might be possible. But, you'll have to take it up with Doctor Umeda in order to bring the device here." - a partial grin started to form on his face - "Although if that happens, I wouldn't mind having a look at this Rejuvenator. What you've explained so far makes it sound marvelous."
Before he could continue, a bump is heard. Then a short moan "Auuu..."
Peter had hit the door frame with his shoulder while he was running to enter the living room again. Needless to say, he brushed it off and continued running, ending up in between Doreen and Erik, looking at his father. With a gleeful smile on his face, he asked "When are we eating? Ben said his mom's going to make something really good."
"Although if that happens, I wouldn't mind having a look at this Rejuvenator. What you've explained so far makes it sound marvelous."
She was sitting in her chair, wine glass in hand and legs crossed and grinned, "We shall see. I haven't heard from John in quite some time so it may be awhile but...." as she crinkled her nose in a smile, "...patience."
"When are we eating? Ben said his mom's going to make something really good."
She was snickering at Peter's entrance. He was so cute. She loved children and the innocence of them. She set her wine glass down, leaned forward and motioned for Peter to come over to her. When he did, she placed a hand on his shoulders, her hands giving a kind rub to the bumped shoulder as she looked him in the face.
"Have you ever had Sauerbraten?" she asked him softly. She could tell that he hadn't by his light head shake.
"Well," she said, "Sauerbraten is a dish from where I grew up on Hamburg. It's roast beef marinated in some wine with vegetables and spices."
Peter was looking at her kind of blank, "I promise that I won't make it too spicy for you but if it helps....." She brightened up her smile and again crinkled her nose, ".....Ben loves it. Does that sound OK?"
Corvin Estate, New Thessalonica, Planet Yuma, Coronado
5 Aug. 824 A.S.
While still a bit confused - the intricacies of preparing food were still a mystery to him - Peter nodded happily. Erik didn't often cook anything too fancy, considering he neither had time nor the skills, but he did what he could. Right now, he just appreciated Doreen's approach on the subject, then rose from his chair, checked the time and started walking towards the kitchen. "Well, the other guests will be here in about an hour. I guess we might as well get started on that..." he stated cheerily.
Right before exiting the living room, he looked at Peter and added "Why don't you two set up the table in the garden? Make sure there's eight seats, ok?"
The boy agreed, then took Ben to one of the cupboards in the kitchen, which held plates and cutlery. The two were soon off outside to set the table. Considering the mainly tropical climate found on New Thessalonica, dining outside felt like a refreshing option.
Meanwhile, Erik had entered the kitchen, approached the cooker and spoke, as if to nobody "Cook mode on. Eight portions, stand by for meal title." This side of the kitchen was in fact an entire wall full of cooking tools and the everyday gadgets, as well as cupboards with everything else. What was out of place, however, was the left corner. The kitchen had no cryo-unit in sight. Instead, there was this two meter wide, tall to the ceiling, sort of metal box, with a dispensing area on its right and a screen above that.
Erik turned around, assuming Doreen had followed him, and continued "Just name what you want to cook, and the computer will drop the ingredients required over there." - he gestured towards the dispenser. "And... uh... tell me what I can help you with..." - he ended, rather nonchalantly while scratching the back of his head.
Corvin Estate, New Thessolonica, Planet Yuma, Coronado
"An auto cooker?" Doreen thought to herself. She didn't know what to think. She made most of her meals the old fashioned way using replicators when on station and such.
She smiled at Erik, "I've got this."
She then spoke to the cooker, "Roast beef, medium well, slow cooked." She turned to Erik as she finished, smiling but speaking to the cooker, "I'll do the seasoning and veggies."
While the cooker went to work, she went to the kitchen and began cutting vegetables. Onions and carrots mostly. She then got some cheese ready. While she worked, she sipped on a glass of wine.
About half way through the cooking process, she sliced the beef, added the cheese and veggies and then poured wine over it as a marinade and let it keep cooking.
Arriving guests would smell it cooking as they walked in. She also boiled up a side of egg noodles as a bed. Once satisfied that it was finished, she removed it from the cooker, placed it on the counter and announced, "Dinner is served."
Corvin Estate, New Thessalonica, Planet Yuma, Coronado
5 Aug. 824 A.S.
Since Doreen took the entire workload, Erik was taken aback by... boredom. He felt relaxed, but standing by and doing nothing was kind of unusual in his life. As she continued, he decided to go help the boys prepare the table. He went out the door, but before he could call for Peter, he saw his colleagues coming down the alleyway. He smiled and offered them a polite, short wave.
"You're just in time." he commented as he held the door open for everyone to come in. He escorted them to the living room so as to wait until dinner was ready. A few minutes of small-chat later, everyone heard an exclamation: "Dinner is served." That being said, Erik invited everyone to take a seat at the table outside, while he entered the kitchen to help Doreen transport all she had prepared.
To the left side of the house, there was a glass-like, oval white table placed beside an odd tree with orange leaves. The chairs were placed four and four, on opposite sides. Peter and Ben had already taken their seats, next to one another, while each keeping a seat open for their respective parent - Peter to his right, Ben to his left. The other guests sat down opposite of the children and continued to chatter.
After bringing out some of the food prepared by Doreen, Erik went back inside and spoke to the computer "Two bottles of Greek Wine." - he took the bottles from the dispenser and placed them in the middle of the table while smirking "We are celebrating, are we not?" That being said, as Doreen was arriving at the table as well, Erik took his seat next to Peter. "Some introductions are in order..." - he started gesturing in front of him, from right to left - "Clark Desay, lead hardware engineer; Richard Dean, general researcher; Samantha Valders, lead software engineer; and my niece, Catherine Corvin, genetics engineer." - then, he gestured towards Doreen - "Everyone, this is doctor Doreen Naggar, our new medical scientist in the team, and the one who offered us the opportunity to test prototype 3 earlier today."
Doreen took the time to meet and greet each of the people there. For those she was meeting the first time, she extended her hand to.
"it's an honor to meet you," she said to them with her patented smile. With the table set, the food on the table and drinks poured, she took the floor.
"First of all, it's both an honor and a privilege to be a part of the Crayter medical staff and to be able to expand my knowledge with the staff that I've had a chance to work with," she stated. "Today was a landmark day. We saved a lot of lives over the last couple of days and we successfully tested nanite therapy today. While it's only a first of what I hope will be many successes, we have a lot to be thankful for. With that said, I propose we enjoy a meal and drink and get to know one another better."
After a toast, dinner was served.
Benjen loved sauerbraten. He loved just about anything his Mom made him. "Peter," he said, "You're going to love Mom's cooking." Ben was holding off taking a bite before Peter as he watched his new friend try it. Once he did, he took a bite himself.
Doreen thought it was cute watching Ben coax Peter into trying it first. She looked at Peter and then to Erik. She smiled at him and then looked back to Peter. She then looked around the table. As she did, it triggered an old memory. It was the first time since she was a child that she had sat at a dinner table with such a large gathering. She was taking in the atmosphere. She wouldn't take a bit until everyone else had at least tried it first.