Chapter 15: Two Cruisers

“I didn’t want to fall into the trap of complacency.”

—Taj Mahal - Musician.

The Marines left, saying they must attend lectures and further training. One of the men explained some of them were scheduled to join the search for saboteurs. Each day, there were rotating shifts to search the ship for saboteurs and lost missiles.

Jason returned to his canteen for breakfast and spent time in the simulators. He returned to his canteen to meet Janet and Phoebe for lunch. The canteen was decorated as an olden-day stateroom with paneled walls, art on the walls, fittings from old ships, and beautiful light fittings, including floor lamps and lights hanging from the roof. It was more like a high-end restaurant than a canteen.

Jason visited the kitchen.

I forgot to tell you, Jason, the Marines ask about you everywhere I go. I mentioned your theories about what you told us about priests. One of them told me that the cyber warfare people were keen to begin work to decontaminate the programming on the medical pods,” said Robert. “They want to ensure the pods will recognize the poisons.”

Jason looked at him and smiled. “Excellent, Robert; what is happening with the food replicators?”

“People are avoiding them, but I hear they are not getting rid of them in the more distant canteens. I will only be happy when we get rid of them.” Robert hesitated, then continued. “Jason, I’m pleased you are inviting guests, as it gives me more of a challenge than this bunch of brain-dead crew. I enjoy exploring my recipe books and preparing food for guests. I’m back to how I was a young man, exploring new foods and cooking methods. Likewise, I am enjoying your cooking equipment. The engineers made several converters so that I could use electricity. I feel more in touch with my primitive self. I need another thousand people to fill up this canteen, and this place will be humming. Not only that, but I want to understand better what people will like when we get our restaurant chain going.”

Jason looked surprised.

Robert laughed. “Marie and I have some great ideas. We can start slowly by buying a farm and then starting a restaurant. We brought along enough food to keep us going for years. Alternatively, we can go fast.”

“I called Lauren this morning. She told me that she’s putting a CEO into the computer business and is going into the food distribution business. I plan to send regular cargo ships to Earth and partner with Lauren. I like her and trust her. We reached an agreement this morning. Thank you for this wonderful business opportunity, Jason; you and your family will be great partners!” Robert observed.

“I am confused, I don’t have anything to bring to the table, but if I get access to money and assets in the Empire, I am happy to help you,” said Jason. “I am a bit confused about the whole idea, but I am happy to help an intergalactic business evolve, as long as I don’t need to manage or plan what happens,” said Jason.

“That is precisely what Lauren told me you would say. She says you are a magnet for business and opportunities. People are drawn to you. I tend to agree.”

Jason shook his head and went back to his table. For lunch, Jason had asked Robert and Marie to make Mexican dips with corn chips as a starter, followed by chili con carne and cornbread as the main course, and finally, an apple pie with double thick cream for dessert.

Janet, Connie, and Phoebe arrived and cheerfully greeted Jason.

Robert sauntered up to the table and rubbed his hands on his apron.

“Welcome to my restaurant. Jason decided what you were to eat. Jason’s food is rustic, primitive, and bland, but it is proudly the food of the primitives,” said Robert.

The women sat down and accepted a glass of virgin Bloody Mary. They were friendly and flirty and sat one on each side of him, with Connie facing him across the table. Janet and Phoebe both kissed Jason more intimately than he expected.

“Jason, I’m happy that you are saving yourself for the senior officers,” said Janet with a smile on her face. “Lucia was disappointed.”

“I was mortified in the sauna. I’m not used to such free and easy sexuality, and I’m not yet over my grief. I am not even used to being naked with multiple women. Furthermore, I’m battling to accept that I’m a young man in the Empire, not an older man being put out to pasture, ready to live out his last days and die. I’ve not had any sexual function for years, and its return shocked me! I profoundly embarrassed myself in front of the Marines, though they were kind to me when they weren’t teasing me.”

Robert frowned and moved his arms in wide circles. Marie punched Jason’s shoulder, sidling up from behind. “Jason, this tale of being old is tired, and it is time to give up the sorry tale,” said Marie. “You are young by the standards of the empire, virile by any standards, and adapting to our culture. We are sorry about your wife, your bizarre cultural beliefs and inhibitions. This is a new chapter in a long life. You have a table full of beautiful women. Don’t go on and on about the same old garbage. You were scared shitless with me, but you’ve got over it and can hold your own. You have broken an Empire record, impregnated four hundred and sixty-two women and counting and that is from the first batch, there are others to follow.”

Jason’s mouth opened and shut.

Marie gently shut it with a kiss. “Now entertain these ladies and take them to bed after dinner tonight.”

Jason blushed.

Robert had his thumb pointing sideways, indicating in the Empire manner that the food was ready.

“Welcome to the food of Mexico. Robert Gabla, our outstanding chef, is ready to serve our first course. I hope you don’t suffer too much eating this kind of food,” said Jason and waved his arms theatrically towards the kitchen. Robert sent out the food with his kitchen drones. It looked and smelled delicious.

Phoebe drank half the glass of tomato juice and burped. “I do like this drink; what is it?”

Marie waltzed up to the table carrying a bowl of salsa. “It is the blood of a parasitic flying animal called a bat. It feeds on blood from other animals and people while they sleep. We bleed them once a week. This drink is a rare treat.”

Phoebe looked green and gingerly put the drink on the table.

Janet grinned, “Connie told us you have a wicked sense of humor. This must be one of your jokes, Jason!”

Marie laughed. “He told me the bat story the first time he gave me the drink. I vomited it up. The bastard didn’t tell me it was a fruit juice with spices until the next day.”

Phoebe smiled wanly.

Janet stuck out her tongue and drank some water. “Something is burning my mouth.”

Marie explained, “There’s something in the food called a chili that gives a sharp, burning flavor. There’s no equivalent in the Empire. We grow it on the ship. Today Robert is preparing food from one of the regions on Earth called Mexico. It’s popular in the canteen.”

“Robert and I have taken some time to make ourselves familiar with the tastes of Mexican food. We love the flavor of Mexican chilies. Earth foods have replaced Empire food on several farms as chefs from other parts of the ship started experimenting with the foods and the crew demanded more.”

“I love what we have tasted so far,” said Phoebe.

The table looked spectacular with several dips, freshly baked corn chips, steaming loaves of cornbread, tortillas, Mexican beer brewed on the ship, and a bottle of cabernet sauvignon in crystal glasses. In the center of the table stood a vase with beautiful flowers. Janet Malone looked around, then at Jason, laughed, and said, “Don’t try to pretend you’re not an Admiral!”

“I’m not an Admiral or a General. I consider myself as I have no formal military rank in the Empire of Cassius, a Junior Apprentice Warlord,” said Jason with a smile. “The food and amenities are thanks to Empress Alana.”

Marie served chili in bowls with guacamole, sour cream, and cheese. Jason showed them how to add the cream to the chili and eat the guacamole. He enjoyed sprinkling cheese into the mix as well. “I like this green stuff and the white sauce you put in the chili.”

“You eat it with the flatbread,” said Marie.

“The green stuff is another fruit, and the white sauce is called sour cream. I won’t tell you where it’s from,” said Jason.

“This is delicious and unique,” said Janet, a half-an-hour later, dipping her bread into her third bowl of chili.

“It is exotic food, scrumptious, and with a smell that gets me going in the best possible way,” said Phoebe, blushing.

“Yeh, everything gets you going, Phoebe!”

Jason poured wine into their glasses and proposed a toast to victory. They slowly drank the beer and wine. They tucked in with gusto, dipping the bread in the chili and tasting it on its own. The women also tried the corn chips and tortillas with the chili con carne. The conversation came to a grinding halt while they concentrated all their efforts on eating and enjoying the smells and tastes that were so unfamiliar.

“I’m delighted to expose you to the food of a primitive world, but it’s where I come from. On the ship, I usually eat Empire food, which is so delicious, and I’m bored with old Earth food, but I hoped it may interest you a little.”

They looked at Jason as if he were utterly insane.

Robert stood behind Jason, watching Jason and the women.

“Yes, it’s sad that they forced us to eat such food. I brought a few samples to show you how much food has advanced. You miss little from such sad small worlds,” said Jason somberly, looking downcast.

Janet shook her head, as did Phoebe and Connie.

“Jason, you are full of it!” Connie remarked.

Jason grinned.

The women helped themselves to a third helping and ate voraciously.

Finally, his guests scraped the bottom of their bowls and wiped them before declaring themselves replete.

Robert served the desert. The apple pie was baked perfectly, and the cream was to die for. Janet and Connie demolished two helpings and struggled to resist licking the plate. Connie ate one helping, then groaned, “I am so full I could burst. I would love to have some more, but I can’t.”

“Regrettably, this is close to the last of this food. I’ll miss it as it’s the food of the motherland, but all good things come to an end,” Jason said with the same sad expression. “Life is like that, missing one’s country of birth, missing one’s planet. Life sucks, and then you die.” He maintained his gloomy visage while he spoke.

Marie laughed. “Ladies, I must warn you, Jason manufactures tales of grand proportions and does so with a straight face. Everyone here has heard his sad stories. I don’t believe a word of it. Jason brought enough food to feed himself for twenty years. Once we tasted the food on Earth, we brought back enough for the whole ship for us to go into production.”