"What I am going to do now will certainly not please the captain. I know that for sure. But I'm hungry and my supplies are almost used up, and so far, none of those settlers have shown up, if they still exist at all and haven't all relocated or died long ago. So, what the heck!" 

Admiral Solomon thought to himself and, quiet as a mouse, set about exploring the supplies in the pantry in order to prepare a meal. Which turned out to be more difficult than expected. None of these alien foods bore any resemblance to earthly food. As far as Solomon could see through the partly transparent funnel-like containers, most of it consisted either of a pulpy or gelatinous mass or small colourful chunks or pills that reminded him more of dried food for animals than of real food. The inscriptions on the containers did not help him either, as he had never seen these characters before in his life.

For more than three days now, according to their calendar, they had been here in this settlement and had been working on a plan to return to their ship. But every suggestion was met with counterarguments, so that they still did not have a plan that everyone wanted to follow and since the captain wasalways looking for a solution that the majority agreed with, they could spend afew more days here like that.

"The captain should finally make an announcement and take the decisions so that we can finally get off this godforsaken planet. That's what he's our captain for, after all!" thought Solomon, who slipped out of the pantry into the presumed kitchen loaded with a few containers to run a few scans on the food there.

"But then, Captain Narson never does that! He never makes any announcements and never makes any decisions on his own. Who made that man a captain!? If I were the captain, we'd be in the ship and on our way to space by now."

Ridiculous, just ridiculous. That was Solomon's opinion of his captain. Just as ridiculous as saying they shouldn't help themselves to the supplies here.

"No one would notice anyway because no one ever came back here. After all, who would return here voluntarily?"

Admiral Solomon tiptoed back into the room where he and the other crew members had set up their sleeping quarters. He looked around and quickly realised that everyone else was still asleep.

So the Admiral took his opportunity to sneak up to Doctor Moonwood's MediKit and took a few scanners and testing equipment out of the kit. Then he quickly turned back to the kitchen and began scanning the food for it's nutritional value and testing it for toxins.

So far, all the food was safe and the nutritional values were even quite good for what looked like dried food and pulp.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Admiral Solomon looked up from his test results and rolled his eyes as he caught sight of Doctor Moonwood standing in the doorway, his arms folded.

"What does it look like to you?" asked Solomon, slightly annoyed.

When no reply came from Moonwood and he also didn't make any attempt to move, Solomon started again.

"What are you doing here so early anyway? Maybe you should have another nap, I'm sure a few more well-rested heads won't do any harm at our next meeting." 

Moonwood stirred, but instead of moving back to his sleeping quarter, he strode slowly and menacingly towards Solomon, who was unimpressed and turned back to his tests and scans.

"Do you really think I don't notice when someone messes with my equipment?" said Moonwood, now clearly angrier. "So don't dodge me with any counter-questions or give me orders while you're experimenting with my stuff" with that, he snatched a test from Admiral Solomon's hand and looked at the result.

"A toxin test? Why are you testing this stuff for toxins and -" he glanced at the scanners "- for nutritional values?" asked Moonwood suspiciously.

"Oh please, don't act dumber than you are" Solomon said, giving Moonwood a disparaging look.

It took a moment for Moonwood to spot the same containers in the pantry and a he got the situation. He took one audible deep breath in and out, trying to keep himself calm and not shout.

"Please don't tell me that these containers are what I think they are. Please don't tell me they're from the pantry there and you've really broken the only rule our Captain ordered us to follow."

"And if it were so?" asked Solomon back unemotionally.

"I simply don't believe it! You are just ignorant. There is a very simple reason why the Captain made that rule. Those supplies don't belong to us! In fact, nothing in this settlement belongs to us! We're actually not even allowed to sleep on this floor and in these rooms, because no one invited us. But we had to find shelter and rest somewhere, that's the only reason we stayed here, and precisely because no one invited us, and we're already taking the liberty of living here without permission, our Captain has decided that we'll only use the bare necessities here, and these supplies are definitely not part of that. Will get that into your stubborn head!"

Moonwood had become louder than he had expected, so Solomon now raised his voice too.

"Only bare necessities. Since when is eating no longer a necessity?"

"We have our own supplies!"

"Indeed! And how long will they last while we are here? Have any of you ever thought about that!? Or asked the question whether our supplies will even be enough to get back to the ship? The ship, which is somewhere, out there and we have no idea how to get there and how long it will take. So I'm sorry if I'm more worried about surviving the next few days than shitting my panties at being caught snacking from the pantry by someone who's never going to show up anyway!"

Suddenly the floor shook and a rumbling sounded, which also drove the other crew members out of their beds and into the kitchen.

"What's going on?" asked Captain Narson anxiously, staring at the Admiral and the Doctor for an answer.

"Captain, the Admiral has been raiding the supplies of this shelter to replenish his own. In doing so he has broken the only rule in force concerning this place and made a terrible mistake. But we have nothing to do with the quake and the noise" Moonwood answered his captain truthfully.

Narson now turned to Solomon in anger.

"You did what Admiral?" asked Narson aghast, unable to believe that the command-minded Solomon, of all people, had disobeyed his rules.

"I was just looking for a way to replenish all our supplies and thus ensure our survival. This is not a mistake, but a necessity!" Solomon now defended himself.

The rumbling was getting closer and it sounded as if it was coming directly towards the settlement. The shaking was also getting stronger. The containers on the kitchen table shook with each tremor and soon began to move or simply fall over. 

"What's going on out there?" angry Captain Narson stormed out of the building and immediately froze again.

"Captain what is it? What do you see?" asked Lieutenant Rathaline anxiously, following her Captain out the door when he did not answer. "Oh my God!"

"Rath, what is it?" asked Solomon now also visibly concerned to see the Lieutenant so worried.

"I think you should come out too" she just said stiffly and motionless.

The noise had stopped and the floor was motionless again but the others followed her and all of them froze just as Narson and Rathaline had done before them, at the sight before them.

In front of them was a whole settlement of masked people. Some on mounts, others on foot, but all armed.

It was clear to the whole crew in one fell swoop. In front of them stood the inhabitants of this settlement and they were clearly not pleased about the uninvited guests.

"Now I guess we'll find out if they made a mistake Admiral!"