Meeting some of the locals

“Other than a bit of swelling around your ankles, you have a clean bill of health, all things considered. Your children are growing fine,” The Voyager’s Doctor, the EMH or Emergency Medical Hologram, reported as Aeilta sat on a medical bed. “Though what I find odd is that you scan as fully human yet you have pink hair, pointed ears, and these facial markings. Not to mention a few extra glands in your hands and spine.”

“Pink hair is natural for humans in my universe though rare, the rest is the result of a supercomputer my father developed and one of its primary features,” Aelita explained as Kes passed the EMH a hypospray and he applied the medicine to Aelita’s ankles. “He was able to convert biological beings into computer programs and back again. During one of the devirtualizations, I was left with the ears and features of my digital avatar.”

“That's…concerning. And potentially groundbreaking for photonic and biological relations,” the EMH looked flabbergasted at what Aelita was telling him.

“It’s considered a very niche technology back home, it never really caught on,” you explain, walking around the sick bay.

“If you are going to dig a trench around my sick bay with all your walking, why don’t you make yourself useful and bring a snack for my patient,” the EMH dismissed you. Mariner laughed at you only to get the EMH’s attention. “And you, I noticed a few bruises on your arm and a few scars on your torso. Hold still.”

You laughed back as you quickly left the sick bay while Mariner tried to defend her ‘trophies’. Right outside the sick bay, Tom Paris was leaning against the wall.

“Hey hold up,” he said as he hurried to catch up to you. “You got a minute?”

“I have a few years,” you grin. Paris looked at you and gave a weak laugh causing you to frown.

“Anyways, I was kinda curious about something your friend, umm, Mariner, said when you all appeared out of nowhere,” he inquired a bit hurriedly. “The thing about beating up a Boimler? I don’t remember ever getting in a fight with anyone named that and…”

“I don’t remember all the details but it was mistaken identity after a security glitch,” you replied, interrupting him. “Not sure I can tell you much more. I heard it was hilarious though.” You chuckle at the memory of watching both the original and the live action versions of Lower Decks (that came out years after the original, like in the mid 2030s).

“That’s…good to hear,” Tom Paris gave a half chuckle. He then paused in his step as the two of you reached an intersection. “Where are you heading by the way?”

“Mess Hall or Neelix’s kitchen, if they aren’t one and the same. Going to get my angel a snack or maybe something to drink,” you replied as you tried to remember which hallway to take. You did some holodeck tours of the Voyager when you were younger. You were about to walk down one hallway when Tom Paris spoke up.

“Right this way,” Tom said, pointing the other direction. You did an about step and walked in the direction he indicated. It took a few more minutes and a couple of a few course corrections from Tom Paris to get you to Neelix's kitchen/Mess Hall. You immediately took a breath of the freshly cooked meals and the variety of exotic fruits and vegetables. You walked over to a basket of blue mango sized fruits with a tough exterior and frowned at the feel of it as you squeezed it. It appeared that your entrance had caught several people’s attention as you were approached.

“Ah, I see you noticed the juvaha fruit, known for their sweet flavor and their utility in pastries,” Neelix said from behind the counter. He reached over and picked up the fruit you had been testing to hand to you.

“It’s not ripe,” you commented as you took the fruit and shook it slightly, listening to the sound. Neelix gave a little chuckle and took the fruit back from you.

“Trust me, I’ve had plenty of juvaha fruit served by master chefs from all the way from the Fewah system and these ones are most definitely,” here he took a bite of the blue fruit and immediately spit it out, “not ripe.” He awkwardly set down the fruit. “It appears I owe you an apology. I could’ve sworn they were ripe.”

“I have a gift with plants and a masters degree,” you bragged. “The juvaha fruit turns blue when it starts the ripening process but they only get their sweetness when you can hear a sort of swish swish sound instead of a swash swash.”

“Anything else here not ripe?” Tom Paris asked as he grabbed a spiky banana like vegetable. “How about this thing, I could barely stomach it last time it was in a special. No offense.” Neelix grumbled a bit while you examined the vegetable. You vaguely recalled it from when you visited a farmer’s market with Katara soon after you acquired her.

“This is mugapiza, right? Humans can’t really digest it unless it's boiled or grilled for a few minutes. Give it a little garlic and it tastes like duck. I only know that due to a bet I lost,” you explained as you thought back on that ‘date’, you reminded yourself to do something with Katara soon. “I had thought about trying to grow some for a prank but changed my mind. Found something better.”

“Let’s see if your tips work out,” Neelix said as he grabbed the bowl of mugapiza and walked into the kitchen to start cooking.

“Can you have anything strawberry or cherry like to make into a smoothie, maybe something citrus?” You asked as you looked around the available fruits and other foods. You grabbed a few things here and there and started looking around for a blender.

“The blender is behind the counter,” Tom Paris replied as he reached around and offered it to you. Soon, you had a pseudo-strawberry and pseudo-pomegranate smoothie with extra vitamins ready and on its way to the sick bay.