Day 8

[whistleandwork]

[Olimar is climbing around in the fridge again. He's taken it upon himself to clean the more curious biological specimens out of the back, and he's idly dictating to his journal as he does so.]I have noticed trends in the coming and going of Paradisa residents. It seems as though people will arrive several at a time, and vanish several at a time,

Comments

[encryptedlock]

[York is also in the kitchen rummaging around for food, cause that's what he does.]

Hey, Olimar. What you got there? Hope nobody's eating it....

[whistleandwork]

Good day, York! This is some sort of soured cream product, in which several colourful varieties of mold have begun to grow. I thought I would study it further and, ah, prevent anyone from trying to eat it.

[encryptedlock]

[takes a sniff and makes gagging sounds]

Note for your records: does not smell edible! [He does poke around at some guacamole, though, which looks perfectly fine.] Kinda makes me want some Mexican food, though.

[whistleandwork]

I thought it seemed dubious! But considering the tastes of some residents, I couldn't be sure ...

Mexican ... I seem to recall reading about an area of Earth with a similar name. [He'll just peer around you and watch the rummaging, York.]

[encryptedlock]

Yeah, good point. Maybe there's some weirdo here who lives off mold, or something.

Yeah, it's just south of the place I'm from. Food from there can be really spicy hot, but it's pretty good if you make it right. [He chuckles, thinking of Karolina's comments about pickle-burritos.] What kind of food they eat where you're from?

[whistleandwork]

It may not be as strange as you think, York! I was astounded to discover how many human food products make use of microbes and fermentation processes. Such adventurous tastes!

Hocotate has many localized foods originally from other planets. Trade has opened up many new possibilities, in that sense. But noodles are the most common fare on Hocotate. There are different varieties for all occasions.

[encryptedlock]

Hey, fermentation's one of the greatest discoveries of all time. God only knows where we'd all be without beer right now.

...Wonder if you could fix any of them here, or if the oxygen'd mess it up?

[whistleandwork]

[Chuckles.] It does seem very popular.

I think one could! Many foods here seem similar to Hocotatian ingredients. And a coworker of mine ate a plethora of foods from an oxygen-based world with no serious side effects ... [He taps his fingers together.] I would attempt some dishes from my home planet, but I'm not very skilled as a cook. Meals are much better left to my wife!

[encryptedlock]

No serious side effects, huh? [He chuckles, grabbing some bean dip and chips. Snack time!] What were the not-so-serious side effects?

Yeah, I know what you mean. I was a shit cook before I got Delta.

[whistleandwork]

It was difficult to tell, since Louie is remarkably quiet. I suspect he had some digestive upset, since he reported a few items as completely inedible. And carried on chewing.

He must be very helpful in making sure you follow recipes! I tend to skim over the more troublesome details, myself ...

[encryptedlock]

[He snorts.] Sounds like military food.

[Delta blinks on.] Indeed. It takes a mere fraction of my processing power to ensure that all items are measured and prepared correctly, and that the timing is never wrong.

Yeah, before that I had mostly bachelor food all the time. Great improvement, I'm telling you.

[whistleandwork]

Poor quality food served to people working to protect their nation? How dreadful! The space noodles I bring on deliveries are, at worst, a little bland.

Ah, the benefits of teamwork. I suppose I would be a better cook if my ship's computer assisted! Perhaps there is an upgrade for that ...

[encryptedlock]

I hear it was better before Harvest got glassed. Now it's just protein packs here, carbo bars there, and never a real meal. [munch on chips, munch munch munch]

...You should totally test that out.

[whistleandwork]

The far-reaching effects of war and destruction ... I shudder to think of such things!

Yes, I seem to recall a culinary upgrade in the last aeromotive catalogue! I'm not sure if it would be advanced enough to make, for instance, anniversary noodles, but it could surely liven up those dull office lunches! [He may have gotten that last part from a commercial.]

[encryptedlock]

Well, with any luck at all, they'll never reach you guys. Ever.

[York is very amused by that.] Best ones are the ones that just help, rather than making it themselves. No offense, D, but most computer programs have no sense of taste.

None taken, York. If it were not for our shared experiences, I would not know taste at all.

[whistleandwork]

We can only hope ... [Because if Olimar's size calculations are correct ... No, it's too horrifying to think about.]

People can have such vastly different tastes. I imagine it must be difficult to translate into ones and zeros, considering how many ... unproductive discussions I had with the company ship's AI.