This morning's prompt is 'melon'.

What can I do with 'melon'? Melon Lord leaps to mind of course, but I don't write fanfic anymore... 8-P

I want a break from zpocalypse and I will probably go with 'something else', unless I come back to Anderson and friends. Or Alex and the giant alien melon?

***

Costigan came down to breakfast and found his teenage daughter Faith considering weird football sized fruits in the handwoven basket on the kitchen table. The sides caved in a little, like some sort of triangular cross section. She waved a hand in the air and 'swiped' with a glance at her dad. The kitchen system generated handwritten text in the air before his eyes, the virtual note which nine year old Alex had left with the basket.

"New cultivar?"

"It's a variety of weird fruit he's growing in that over-grown botanical exhibition he calls a 'garden'."

Frank snorted. Three hectares and a dozen bots creeping around plants plus a few animals from who knew where in the Galaxy. Perhaps even beyond? The Scouts had discovered wormhole pairs connecting to systems outside of the Milky Way proper, he had heard.

"Well, the Melon Lord seems to want us to give it a try. No indications we can't eat and enjoy it..."

"Oh he raved about it. Says it's like chocolate. The twins had three for lunch yesterday."

"Three?" Costigan exchanged a grin with Faith and then they both took out their matching belt knives, the father and daughter project that they'd made when she was twelve turning thirteen, and fell upon the hapless melons like a pair of ravenous wolves.

***

I was just talking to my buddy Jake about Jake and I realized that while I know his role, that is Jake the character, is be an idiot, I feel guilty about clowning a decent human being...

***

Cathy hugged Wendy hard, 'atomic bearhugz' they  had said since they were kids. They'd signed up together, been separated and brought back together again and again, and then found themselves in different ships, same task force, until yet another transfer brought Cathy over to RVNS Aphrodite, Mighty Aphrodite or 'Dytee' and her crew were 'dites'.

Wendy waved at Jake who exchanged greetings and then wandered off with his friends.

"Is that the guy who tried to slab himself?"

Wendy nodded, looking annoyed. Cathy smiled.

"Chatter is you two are-"

"God no!" Wendy held up her hands palm out and Cathy laughed.

"So what's the spec, 'shipmate'?"

"Spec?"

"Specifications. Fleet has it's own way of speaking and I guess you've been slow to pick it up?"

"Maybe."

"How about definitely? Spill, cowgirl!"

"That first night in Venusberg habitat?"

"Yeah, when you bailed on me and never told me why? Not going to ever forget, core memory..."

"I went sight seeing and got in over my head."