Messhall

Kal decided to break with his normal morning routine and head to the messhall for breakfast. As he neared the door, he collided with someone coming out.

"Hello, Kal. Aren't you supposed to be on the bridge?" Ensign Harry Kim asked.

"Not yet, sir." Kal addressed his superior. While they shared the same rank, Kim was a senior officer who manned the conn on the bridge. "I've still got 20 minutes or so." Apparently satisfied with the answer, Kim headed to the turbolift.

Continuing on into the messhall, Kal was greeted by the ever-smiling cook, Neelix. "Good morning, Ensign! We don't usually see you down here this early. What can I get you?"

"Strawberry waffles would be fine, thanks, Neelix." Kal smiled back at the Talaxian, starting to enjoy his decision to break routine already. Neelix was a likeable sort, no matter who you were.

A few minutes later, Neelix himself delivered freshly cooked waffles to his table in the corner. "Why are you sitting back here? Don't you want to talk to people?"

Kal smiled again. "No, I'd rather just sit and enjoy the change of scenery before I go on duty. And thanks for the food, you really didn't have to cook it instead of replicating it."

"It was nothing. Oh, and by the way, speaking of a change in scenery, look towards he door. Your day might just get a bit brighter." Looking at the door, Kal noticed the person Neelix had indicated. It was Seven of Nine, a beautiful ex-Borg that Captain Janeway had liberated a couple of years ago. She was often considered among the male crew members to be the best looking female they'd seen since leaving Earth, and they'd seen their fair share in the last six years.

"She does brighten the room, no doubt about that." Over the next few minutes, while Kal ate, he watched her take a seat and go over a datapad. He noticed that she obviously had taken the time to be well groomed, as he noticed her clean bodysuit allowed her assets to be well viewed. Kal then looked at his chrono: it was 05:57 hours, and his shift started at 06:00.