Announcement: Science Fiction

The spoon rang against the cup, and silence fell in the crowded mess room. She cleared her throat, straightened her collar tabs, and climbed up on top of the table. "As you all know," she said, pitching her voice to carry through the room, "we've been left on our own here for a very long time. " A grumble of agreement rose with her words. "What you don't know," she said, "what the higher-ups have been trying to keep you from finding out, is that it wasn't just a delay--they've abandoned us for good. They're just trying to keep us quiet until it's too late for us to do anything about it." This time the hubbub was too loud for her to be heard over. One grunt pushed his chair back to stand up and begin shouting--

Inspiration: a spoon ringing against a cup
Story Potential: High.
Notes: Nice potential setting, I'm thinking they end up allying with an alien of some sort--either residential to the outpost, or the enemy that they've been fighting, perhaps. Not terribly original, but has potential.