Editing Forgotten Freedom:9 (section)

== Running out of food ==
'''Norbaz''': WHAT IN KHYBER!

(on deck)

'''Doog''': Huh?

'''Lisa''': (having just pummeled Michael with her hammer for some reason) Was that the ship's cook shouting?

'''Michael''': ouch, yeah, he never really makes a lot of noise.

(Norbaz storms on Deck with several pieces of parchment in hand, an unusual fire in his eyes. He is heading straight for the helm)

'''Norbaz''': Captain, I have something important to report.

'''Captain Jarlot''': What is it.

'''Norbaz''': These sheets detail the price and amount of foodstuffs we pick up each time we stop to restock supplies... and *ahem* our alternate sources of food. When you look at this, it's not much at first, but overtime its built up. We are going through more food than we have crew members for even if everyone had triple portions every night for the past year. Also according to these sheets, a number of pieces of kitchen equipment and small food items such as spices and preserves have gone missing. At the very least I'd wager that we have at least five unaccounted-for stowaways or someone is stealing and hoarding food.

'''Captain Jarlot''': Well, I think I know how to accuount for some of it, so its not such a big deal at the moment, but I'll look into it.

'''Norbaz''': Actually captain, it is a big deal. We're two weeks from our next scheduled port and we have a situation.

'''Captain Jarlot''': And what is it.

'''Norbaz''': Well, not to cause alarm (whispering) After the next meal, which will have to be at half portions, we'll be out of food stocks, aside from some very foul smelling soup broth, which I don't think could sustain a beholder, and could make the crew very, very sick.

'''Captain Jarlot''': I see.

'''Norbaz''': And there is another related problem, captain.

'''Captain Jarlot''': Don't we have enough.

'''Norbaz''': Well, umm... I was gonna give you this presentation of this proposal next week by demonstrating it to you. It would be a new means of crew discipline that I had hoped you would like, but now it seems this inopportune situation has come about.

'''Captain Jarlot''': What, out with it.

'''Norbaz''': Well, I've been putting trace amounts of a special poison mix into the meals, not enough to affect anyone, but enough to over time to cause a chemical dependency. When its removed from someone's diet for a week they become violently ill. I was going to present this to you as a new system of crew discipline with a demonstration... but now this happens, and my supply of the poison and its components are among the things missing from my pantry.