CHAPTER 255: THE CANTEEN IS BACK

The joyous, triumphant cheers of the few faithful believers who had waited were the first to break the silence of the Normat sector.

The little girl who had first spotted the vehicle was now jumping up and down, pointing with unrestrained delight. The handful of stubborn, hungry adults who had refused to give in to the blandness of the Nutritional Packs now looked at each other with wide, vindicated grins.

~HOOONK! HOOONK!~

The sound was a clarion call of hope. Doors to the grey, identical houses began to slide open as the residents, drawn by the impossible noise, peeked out.

Mex, who had been hiding in his house in embarrassment and self-doubt, heard the sound and his heart leaped.

He burst out of his door and ran towards the plaza, a massive wide smile of pure relief spreading across his face. He was the first to reach the Canteen as it came to a silent stop in the center of the square.

The Canteen was immediately surrounded by Normats the moment it was spotted. It was chaotic. Dozens, then hundreds, of people, their hunger and curiosity now a raging fire, all found themselves running towards the vehicle.

But to their surprise, just as they got within a few feet, they hit an invisible, unyielding barrier of energy, stopping them from mobbing the truck.

The massive service window slid open, and Adrian appeared, waving at them with a calm smile.

"Greetings, people of the Normat!" his amplified voice declared. "We’re back. But it will be for your own good if you exercise a little patience and organize yourselves. Form a single line."

It was only on Adrian’s words, and the realization that the invisible barrier would not let them any closer, that the crowd finally settled down, grumbling but obediently forming a long, winding queue a short distance away.

"My apologies for not coming yesterday," Adrian continued, his voice projecting over the now-quiet plaza. "We had to prepare. We wouldn’t want to run out of food again, would we? And today, we’ve brought you even more options."

The crowd was already salivating, their eyes fixed on the open window, desperate for another taste of the food that had haunted their dreams. Adrian, meanwhile, motioned to his co-chef. "Let’s get cooking, Nyra."

Nyra, already knowing what he meant, was a picture of graceful efficiency. She brought out a large basket of freshly dug potatoes.

With a few, deft movements of a knife, the tubers were peeled and perfectly sliced in seconds. She tossed them into a large, metallic container, added water from the Canteen’s internal tank, placed it on one of the Heaters, and turned it on.

"Oops," Adrian exclaimed to the crowd, who had their eyes fixed on Nyra’s every action. They paused, wondering what was wrong.

"I almost forgot to close the window. The cooking is a chef’s secret," he said with a wink, before the metallic shutter slid down, once again blocking their view.

A collective groan of disappointment went up from the Normat.

"Aww, I wanted to see how they did that!"

"He’s right, though. A master never reveals his secrets."

"Who cares? As long as we get our food, he can have all the secrets he wants!"

A few minutes later, the window opened up again, and this time, the crowd was hit by a thick, delicious aroma that was completely different from the roasted corn. It was the rich, savory smell of garlic, herbs, and perfectly cooked potatoes.

"Food is ready!" Adrian announced.

The moment they heard his announcement, the line surged forward, their discipline holding but their eagerness palpable.

Adrian showed the first person in line, who happened to be Mex, two new options. One was a simple container of what looked like golden, fluffy mashed potatoes, topped with a sprinkle of green herbs. The other was a vibrant, colorful drink in a cup, a deep, beautiful orange liquid.

"This is a simple fruit beverage," Adrian said. "A taste of home. Five credits."

Five credits! Half the price of a single Ice Cola. Mex immediately paid for one and took a sip.

His eyes went wide. It was heavenly. It was sweet, but with a complex, tangy flavor that exploded in his mouth. It was nothing like the one-note sugar-sludge of a standard cola.

The crowd saw his reaction and a new wave of excitement went up. "I’ll take one of those!" the person behind him said.

"And this," Adrian continued, gesturing to the steaming mashed potatoes, "is our main course for today. Ten credits."

Ten credits. The price was the same as the fried rice. It was a miracle. The crowd went wild.

Adrian and Nyra got to work immediately. Nyra, her face alight with a new, playful energy, handled the sales, her quick mind and growing mastery of the language allowing her to take orders and process payments on the PAD with flawless efficiency. Adrian was on distribution, handing out the warm containers of food and the cool, refreshing drinks.

It took more than two hours of non-stop work. People came back for seconds, then thirds, their entire month’s savings of Nutritional Packs now forgotten. When Adrian finally handed out the last container of potatoes, it became clear that there was no one else on the street. They had completely sold out.

Nyra wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and turned to face Adrian, a tired but triumphant smile on her face. "Phew... Finally. We’re done. That was... intense."

"No," Adrian said with a strange, excited glint in his eyes. "We’re not done. Not yet."

He walked to the control panel at the front of the Canteen, and the speakers on the roof, which had been silent, suddenly blared to life with a catchy, chiming, and repetitive melody that filled the entire sector.

He then took the driver’s seat. Sensing the vehicle was about to move, Nyra quickly took the chair beside him.

"This sound... it’s so strange, but I can’t get it out of my head," she said with a laugh. "How’d you make it?"

Adrian smiled, a flicker of nostalgia in his eyes as he pulled the Canteen out of the plaza. "I didn’t make it. It’s an old folk song from my homeworld. It was once a very popular song, used to sell... a sweet, frozen treat."

Nyra wasn’t clear on the details but didn’t question it, content to watch the quiet boring streets of the Normat sector pass by as they drove.

The Canteen’s music announced their arrival, and as they drove, Normat who had been too shy or too skeptical to come to the plaza now poked their heads out of their houses, their curiosity piqued by the music and the incredible smell that followed them.

"Where are we going?" Nyra asked. "I thought we sold everything."

"We did," Adrian confirmed, his eyes on the road. "But we’re not selling anymore. We’re advertising."

"Advertising?"

"There are thousands of Normat in this sector," he explained. "We only served a few hundred today. We need everyone to know we exist. We need them to see the Canteen, to hear our music, to smell the lingering aroma of real food.

There are many who weren’t able to see us in the plaza, but now, the entire Normat sector will see us at least once."