Challenge #01837-E013: The Helpful Cup
Hot sweetened tea and maybe a biscuit or sandwich will help to solve most problems. -- Anon Guest
In the grand scheme of things, Britanians never expect much out of the Tea Lady. Some sage advice, a rambling story about their youngest, and, of course, tea. If you knew how to play your cards right, you might get a Jammy Dodger or a Scotch Finger. That was the way it had always been. Until Ambassador Harry.
So far, she had helped the odd little alien stabilise their atmosphere regulators with duck tape, fixed the fans with a hairpin, and disarmed the alien security measures with one of her support stockings. Now they were at the ships' power, Sai'dut was looking rather upset.
Harriet Jones frowned a little. This sort of insect creature had been friendly and open enough, but now she worried that something was amiss. She was still using her business manners, and therefore acted like a kindly grandmother type despite being not nearly thirty, just yet. "Something wrong, love?"
Sai'dut indicated the battery, and used their common language of Broken English. "Battery empty. Needing acid. Special acid. Not knowing where is."
"What acid?" asked Harry.
Sai'dut didn't have the words, but they could draw. Carefully, a set of intersecting circles and lines. That became a five-pointed star of hexagons that Harry knew very well. She saw it whenever Brian needed a top-up.
"Brian's mug!" she dashed back to where she left her tea trolley and got the mug with its diagram, raced back with it, showing it to Sai'dut. "This? You need this?"
Sai'dut got very excited, fluttering their vestigial wings. "This. Yes! Yes, yes! This. Much this!"
Now it was worth wrestling the tea trolley and its urn all the way to the engine room. So far, Sai'dut had been using her supply of Monte Carlos and Milk Arrowroots to stay alive, but had kept a wide berth from her hot tea. Sai'dut continued to keep a wide berth.
"Dangerous container," they said.
"Yes, love," said Harry. Possibly on automatic. "It's full of hot tea," and she poured some from the urn into Brian's mug. She pointed to the contents, then pointed to the diagram, and then to the empty battery.
It took a few goes, and one cautious scanning, but Sai'dut got the picture. Once the power was back on, half the battle to save both crews was over. Poor Sai'dut was quite alarmed that she had some to drink. Harry had to explain that their version of battery acid was humanity's lovely cuppa. And then she had to stop herself from handing it out to Sai'dut's people. They got the biscuits. Her folks got the tea.
There was very little that couldn't be solved with a cup of tea and a biscuit.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / IvonneWierink]
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wow!! really the helpful cup..the tittle is soo good. and the part were she helped the odd little alien also the point that really caught me was were Harry had to explain that their version of battery acid was humanity's lovely cuppa..its really write up..expecting more from you .thank you
Interesting wuao o.o!
That escalated quickly. I feel like having some tea now, maybe I'll make myself one ~
Nice use of words, I love your creativity and the segmentation of you story. It's really wonderful. Keep it up