Whiskey and wine, sluts and yeast, she grinned and wrapped her mind around them, little problems that were more immediate and more easily solved than the bigger ones humanity faced. She could do something about the little ones, and nothing about the bigger ones so she focused on that.

“It doesn’t need to be grand,” she reminded him. “Anything we do will be grander than what we have.” 

But she liked the idea of whiskey and wine and began to run through all the things that passed through her hands on shift. Bottles a plenty, or rather containers made of some plastic-carbon-polymer-substance that was somehow degradable and easily reformed. She didn’t know much about it but she wondered how much of it could be used for booze making. She’d have to nab and wash a few next shift and get them to Jack to see if they could be used. She hadn’t rummaged through the main kitchen storage much, but she was betting something was back there and Josey had seemed open to the whole still concept. She’d have to up her level of help. Especially now that Jack was talking in We about the whole speakeasy idea. She liked that. It gave her something to do to fill her time outside of work when she knew no one and got lost so easy. And more than that it gave her time to see Jack. The thought made her grin and her soft cheeks reveal their deep dimples. 

“I’d like that Jack.” She said, enjoying the idea of them hunting up anything together. She brushed her thumbs lightly over the backs of his work, rough hands and added “I’d really like it.”

 She was certain wherever he had in mind would be perfect, she was a little peripheral for that end of their growing plans, but she could be helpful somewhat in acquisitions.

“I can get us yeast,” she said, “but it will be the kind more suited to breads, not the wild yeasts that would have grown on the skins of grapes and apples. I don’t think that sort of yeast exists any more outside of the labs if even there.”

Her father had been a passionate oenophile and she’d absorbed quite a bit of the knowledge even if she’d never quite caught his passion or inherited his palate. He’d waxed passionate more than once about the subtle ways the natural yeasts found in each region would change the characteristics of the wine produced, even if the variety of grape was the same. Would that have been something the scientists would have thought of? Probably not. There were so many hidden things that affected so much, things people never even thought of.

The fact that her father would probably be horrified at what she was about to do somehow made her even more determined to do it. No, it wouldn’t be what he would condescend to drink. It would be different, but it would be just as valid. She recalled Jack’s earlier words about the humble things having more value in the new world and it made her even more determined to make this little place for humble folks, real people, to have some fun. 

They were outside her door now and he was holding her hands in just the sweetest way. It made her bite her lip and scuff her feet. 

“Well,” she said cleverly. “This is my place…” she trailed off and shyly looked up at him. The painful sweetness of the moment not lost on her even as she reveled in it.