( I own only plot line.)
Nina looked at the ship. She was now twelve and totally in love with going up to space. But she never expected that she'd be going up there as a galley assistant. She groaned as she boarded. She saw all manner of weird people, then crashed smack into someone rock hard... Literally...
"Oh. Hi... I'm Nina Martin." She said, timidly. This tall guy scared her. "You're the captain? I suppose you run a tight ship?"
He sounded friendlier than she imagined as he replied "A tight ship it is, but I'm not your captain. The captain's aloft." He gestured.
A woman in a blue jacket and black boots swung down. On closer look, Nina saw that she was partly human and partly a cat. She had light brown hair and bright green eyes. She told the man in a red coat that he'd got the whole ship perfect again. Then lay her eyes on a terrified Nina. She gave her a weird look.
"Ah, Nina Martin, I presume?" She asked happily. Nina nodded. "Good. You're going to be working with our cooks. Mr Arrow, please escort Miss Martin downstairs to the galley. I'm sure they'll love her."
Nina followed the guy she assumed was Mr Arrow downstairs, where they heard two voices. One was definitely male and the other female. Nina whimpered when she heard a crash and the female snap "Oh, look what you did, you completely clumsy blob!"
"Complete clumsy blob, complete clumsy- MUAH!" A squeakier voice.
"I'm da complete clumsy blob, woman?! You be da one dat dropped da bowl!" The man's voice.
"Because you walked into me, you idiot!" She snapped back.
Nina whispered to an irritated Mr Arrow "I take it these two are always like this?"
"Yes. And they better behave themselves with a child around. Mr Silver doesn't have the cleanest mouth." Mr Arrow told her, before leading her in.
The trio shut up and Nina gazed in surprise. There was a man in striped trousers and a white shirt that Amber would have died in horror at, a hat the concealed a pink blob that made Nina want to coo in happiness at and a dark skinned woman with jet black hair that had looked furious just a second previously. Nina grinned sheepishly. Mr Arrow was more brisk.
"Mr Silver, Miss Rehman, this is your new cooking assistant. Look after her, she's yours. Captain's orders and see to it that she's kept busy." He ordered and left her there.
Silver yelled "You can't leave me here with another dreaded female, I hate putting up with the one!"
He stormed off to find the captain. The woman had fallen into fits of giggles. Nina looked at her in confusion. The laughing woman spotted Nina's confusion and smiled. She grabbed Nina's hands.
"I'm sorry, love, he's always like this, every second I've known the man. He'll get used to you. Now, what's your name, dear?" She asked. Nina liked the air of maternity around the woman. She smiled happily.
"I'm Nina Martin." She told her. This woman sounded British and was just as human as Nina.
"OK, Nina. I like that. Spanish, am I right? If so, it means little girl." The woman smiled. Nina nodded. The woman said "My name is Trudy. Mr Silver is our main cook, I'm just the ship's baker, though I seem to be in his way a little. You're going to be assisting us both, though I'll need you to do us all some special jobs. OK, love?" Trudy chattered.
Nina smiled some more, getting a hug from her. Then suddenly, a cupcake was placed in her hands.
"Try it, dearie, I haven't poisoned it." She smiled. Nina took a bite and almost died with the delight.
"Wow, Trudy! You're a fantastic baker!" Nina told the woman. She noticed something bright purple in the middle of the cupcake. "Um, what's in this?"
"Oh, sweetie, it's purp jam. Specially made for this trip." Trudy beamed.
"It's heavenly...!" Nina sighed. She hadn't heard Mr Silver re-enter.
"Thar her bakin' is, Miss Martin. Impressed the cap'n and first mate so much thar I gets stuck wit her. Not the cap'n's best idea, if ya asks me." He told Nina making her jump. Trudy just shook her head.
"You love having me here really, John. Face fact, everyone does." She laughed. "And if it makes you feel better, I'll take this lady."
Nina stood there, awkwardly shocked. Mr Silver smiled. "Yeah, ya take 'er. Watch yeself, lassie, the lady be a mental creature if ever I be seein' one."
"Yet you own the shape shifting pink blob? Never mind him, sweetheart, he's going to grouch at us all day if we don't watch our steps." She sighed. "Now, my sweet child, what do you like to do? Would you like to watch the launch, then pop back down here and help with the bakery?"
"Ya're too sweet on 'em, lady. Ya should be a'giving 'em a rough time, a true pirate's life, not tha' soft, sweet mama talk." Silver told her. She stuck her tongue out at him.
"I'll be sweet to her if I want. She's only a child. I'm not having her be raised like I was." Trudy wrapped her arms protectively around Nina.
"The cap'n'll be furious, treatin' your trainee like tha'." Silver warned.
"I don't give a stuff. The captain will understand, having the background she does. My Nina will have the best spacing manners and become somewhat a rival to everyone on board this ship, you mark my words." Trudy said. Then she whispered "Nina, my lovely child, you go watch the launch, the you pop back here. OK?"
Nina liked her. She nodded, receiving a giggle from her new mentor and a quick kiss on her dark blonde curls.
She went upstairs and watched the launch. She enjoyed watching as they unfurled the sails and braced them. She felt herself floating up. Then she heard the captain call out for artificial gravity. Then the ship fired off and Nina clung to a rope for dear life.
When she hadn't returned after the launch, Trudy went looking. She spotted the captain glaring at her.
"Oh, hello, sweetie. That outfit looks stunning!" She smiled warmly. The captain sighed.
"I've had enough of the buttering up from Mr Silver, thank you." She groaned and the baker woman chuckled.
"I don't doubt it, sweetie. You haven't seen Miss Nina, have you? The sweetheart's vanished and I haven't seen her since before the launch." Trudy worried.
"If that's your trainee assistant in those shrouds, then yes, I have. Go get her and take her to the galley. Don't let me see her messing about like that again." The captain warned. Trudy nodded.
"Of course, ma'am." Then she shot off for Nina. "Nina, love, come here please."
Nina jumped down and stood in front of the frowning woman. "Yes, Miss Rehman?"
"Now, sweetie, for a start, less formality. Secondly, didn't I say that straight after the launch, you were to get your skinny bottom back in the galley?" Trudy asked her.
"Yes, Trudy. I'm sorry, I got so fascinated. I'm sorry." Nina replied guiltily.
"No need, sweetie. Now, do you know how to bake muffins?" She asked kindly.
"What? I haven't got a clue how to make muffins." Nina told her sadly.
"OK, my love, how about bread?" Trudy asked her, no less kindly.
"I've never even touched an oven." Nina told her, feeling a bit useless.
"Oh, dear me. How old are you, dearie?" Trudy wondered.
"I'm twelve." Nina replied. Trudy smiled with pleasure.
"OK, then, darling, I think you're very much old enough to learn baking talents." Trudy told her, smiling happily.
The two went to the galley and Trudy made Nina wash her hands. They started out lightly, making bread. Nina grasped it quickly, learning exactly how to make bread like her new mentor within two hours and made her first unsupervised loaf within the next hour. The two moved on to muffins and cookies and tarts within the rest of their day. They dished them out between everyone on the ship, then Trudy showed Nina a hidden cake she'd baked and the two secretly shared it.
"Trudy, have you got any children of your own?" Nina quietly asked.
"Well, I'm married, but nobody on board this ship knows. And my husband begged me to stay behind, but you know, this was too good an opportunity and besides, someone had to care for his godson. He's Captain Amelia's protegee. Fabian Rutter. You'd like him. And as to the actual question, not yet. Though it's only a few months away and I'm grateful nobody really sees me." She smiled.
"You mean you're... and on a space voyage?" Nina asked, shocked and pleased.
"Mm-hmm. Absolutely. You know, he's more protective over me than he is over anyone else." She beamed.
And while the two were having their happy chat, the ship swung crazily and the two fell in the hammock they were lying together in.
