Chapter 254: Where Is The Canteen?!

A mother burst through the door to find her husband and their young son waiting, their faces bearing the familiar, weary boredom of another day in the slums."You’re back late. Did you get the Packs?"

"Better," she said to her husband with excitement, placing four warm containers on the table between them. "Look."

Her son looked at the container with disinterest. "What is it?"

"It’s food!" she whispered. She opened the lid, and the rich, savory aroma of the stir-fry filled their small home. Her husband and son stared with wide eyes.

They watched as she took a bite, a look of pure, blissful ecstasy on her face and they didn’t hesitate to take a spoonful afterwards.

Their reaction was identical to her own. The explosion of flavor, the warmth, and the gentle, invigorating surge of mana through their body.

The single container was devoured in minutes, a joyous, almost reverent silence filling the room. Without a word, she took a second container and walked out the door, heading for her sister’s house next door. The good news had to be shared.

All across the sector, similar scenes were playing out. The food was shared with family, who in turn shared a single, precious bite with their friends, who then rushed to tell others. In no time, the entire Normat sector was a buzzing hive of rumors and disbelief. The story became a hot topic, a legend in the making.

But for the many who weren’t privileged enough to have had a taste, the story was simply too good to be true.

"Ten credits for a full meal, and it tastes better than an Ice Cola? What kind of void-sludge is that!" a grumpy, older Normat grumbled to his friends in the public square.

"I might as well believe we can leave the slums," another added with a heavy laugh.

None of those who had tasted the food bothered to convince these skeptics. They were only interested in one thing: getting more.

To them, it was even good news that some didn’t believe. That meant less competition for the miraculous food when the Canteen were to come back.

But inside a house at the center of the sector, someone was very bothered by the situation.

Papa Perez, the oldest and wisest of the Normat, sat across from an excited, breathless Mex. Between them, on the simple table, sat a small portion of the Fried Rice that Mex had saved for him.

The old Normat had taken a spoonful, and his eyes immediately went wide in shock. He couldn’t help but take another, slower bite, savoring the complex flavors, but more importantly, analyzing the feeling.

"The rumors... they’re true!" he finally whispered.

Mex nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Papa! Isn’t that good news? Real food! It’s finally here!"

Papa Perez wanted to find something to refute, some logical reason to dismiss this as a trick. But his excuses were caught in his throat.

The taste of the food was simply too good to be denied. He shook his head, a complex mixture of fear and wonder on his wrinkled face.

"No," he admitted. "It’s good." He looked at the now empty container. "Do you have any more?"

"Sorry, Papa," Mex said, his face falling slightly. "That’s the last of what I bought. They sold out completely."

Mex could see the deep disappointment on Papa Perez’s face. He quickly tried to comfort his elder. "You don’t need to worry! I’m sure they’ll be back tomorrow! I spoke to the leader, Adrian. He promised to come back!"

Papa Perez looked at the hopeful, naive face of their Runner. He saw not just a delicious meal, but a new, powerful piece on the great, dangerous board of the Nexus.

To introduce such cheap, potent food into the stagnant ecosystem of the Slums was a quiet act of rebellion. And Papa Perez knew that the Concordat did not tolerate rebellion.

"For now, let this be a secret. Keep this news on the low."

Mex was confused. "But why?"

"The fewer who know, the more there will be for us when they return. No need for the other races to get involved." he lied.

That was a logic Mex could understand. He nodded, his expression turning conspiratorial. "Okay, Papa. Our secret."

"Good," Perez said. "Now, go. Also tell everyone that they can halt eating their Nutritional Packs for a while."

The Normat had noticed how vastly different the food was from a pack, and not just the taste. But the way it reinvigotared his body. It was for the best if they continued with it.

"Alright, papa. Will do."

***

The next day came, but the atmosphere was anything but normal. The usually quiet, empty streets were alive with a low, expectant buzz.

Normat who normally would have been inside their houses now lingered on the streets, finding excuses to be outside. Children played, but their parents were constantly glancing towards the distant, shimmering wall of the Sector Bubble.

"Did you hear? The Sparkborns are coming back today!" one Normat whispered to another.

"I saved my credits from yesterday!" a young one said excitedly. "I’m buying five of those... whatever they were! One for me, one for my mate, and three for later!"

A grumpier, older Normat scoffed. "You’re all fools. You really think they’ll show? It was probably a one-time thing, a promotion to get you to notice them. Today, they’ll be selling those things for a hundred credits a piece, you watch."

The day wore on. The sun reached its zenith, the time the Canteen had arrived the day before. The crowd on the streets grew even more.

They waited. An hour passed. Then another. The sun began its slow descent, and the hopeful energy began to curdle into a familiar, bitter disappointment.

All eyes turned to Mex, who stood in the center of the crowd, his own face a mask of confusion and worry. He was the one who had made the promise.

He was the one who had spoken to their leader. Mex had already tried calling Adrian’s contact code on his PAD, but the call just wouldn’t connect. Hence, he had no answers for them.

As hunger set in, the first few families reluctantly gave up, their children crying as they were led back to their houses.

Soon, the Nutritional Packs began to come up once again.

A dedicated, stubborn few still refused to eat of it, fueled by the memory of that single, miraculous bite of food. But the day ended soon enough. The sun dimmed, and the streets was left empty and quiet once more.

Angry, disappointed glares were shot at Mex as they left. He clutched his head in embarrassment and confusion, slinking back to his own small house.

Had he been played for a fool? Had Adrian just been conducting some kind of cruel experiment?

The next day was worse. The streets was nearly empty. Only a handful of the most stubborn believers came out. The rest of the sector had been forced to eat their Nutritional Packs, the taste of the bland, grey paste now even more disgusting after having tasted real food.

The morning dragged on, and it was only when the sun was approaching its zenith that the most faithful of the group, began to give up as well.

It was then that a little Normat pointed a trembling finger towards the edge of their sector. "Look!"

~HOOONK! HOOONK!~

It was a sound they had never heard before, but a sight that they knew too well. A familiar blue-black vehicle was driving through the main street, its horn blaring a happy, rhythmic tune.

The Canteen was finally here.