Chapter One

[mech_and_mutt]

Who: Red Savarin and special guest, you!
Broadcast: Live, coast to coast
Action: The grand entrance of a new cast member on the Marsiva
When: Half past April 28th

"Come onnn...!"

Oddly-hurried footsteps followed the frustrated muttering on the video feed; those who glanced up as the sounds grew louder might have caught a moment of that bipedal canine- one fairly well dressed for piloting work, at that- jogging right through and past the frame before those sounds of movement hesitated.

"There's gotta be-- ah, maybe...?"

A soft, dull mechanical noise came through the speakers... followed by a wet, sopping plop. To those more familiarized ears, it sounded a bit like one of the food dispensers issuing out some of its--

"Ughhh!!"

Oh yeah. It was a food dispenser. And soon, it was Red rushing past the camera once again, his expression looking all the more frustrated on the second pass.

"Where're they keepin' the real food?!"

Comments

Video

[continuousgroaning]

[Tina just... stares for a while. OK, she's seen some strange folk since coming here, but still, a talking dog? This was new.]

Uhm, you mean the protein isn't real food? Just kidding, I know it's not... really... actual food...

[mech_and_mutt]

[Wait. Was one of those videos addressing him? That was a first. Was he on camera already?

Well, it was nice hearing a voice from the speakers that wasn't that annoyingly-gleeful one that gave him his welcome. Maybe this girl could even hold a conversation.]

I couldn't tell you what it is. Just tell me there's somewhere I can find a sandwich or somethin'.

[continuousgroaning]

Well, that's not likely to happen as long as you're on the Marsiva. I know the protein sucks, but it's better than nothing.

[mech_and_mutt]

Ohhh. Right.

So there's a restaurant ship out there? How do I get to it?

[continuousgroaning]

You're stuck on the Marsiva for now, 'til they decide to assign you someplace. Uhm, there's no restaurant ships, but the Iskaulit has a few bars... which I'm too young to go to... and sometimes individual ships have real food supplies they pick up when we stop on planets.

[mech_and_mutt]

[The words "sometimes" and "real food" were a bit too close together for his liking...]

So you're sayin' I get used to this or starve, huh?

[continuousgroaning]

Sadly. You can make it taste somewhat palatable, at least- as long as you combine flavors that go together well. I can make it taste pretty good, but I think that's my augment more than any natural skill.

[mech_and_mutt]

What flavors? So far I had one that tasted like a mouthful of grass and one that tasted like... chicken. I think. [Maybe whoever flavored it only had ever had it described to them.]

Which ones have you been usin'?

[continuousgroaning]

Well, if you mix up cheese and wheat, it tastes a little like macaroni and cheese. Add in beef, and it's not bad.

[mech_and_mutt]

Hold on, I gotta write this down...

[He fumbled with something out of frame.]

Didn't even know they had those flavors. Maybe the beef's better... what else?

[continuousgroaning]

Chicken and teriyaki together is pretty good, too. And there are some sweet ones you can mix together for dessert. Really, experimenting is the best way. I forget what all's on the Marsiva, though- my ship's got a pretty upgraded kitchen.

[mech_and_mutt]

Upgraded kitchen?

...Do you have real food there?

[Talk about a one-track mind. But for the moment can you blame him?]

[continuousgroaning]

Mmhmm. Once you're on a ship and earning credits, you can pay to upgrade certain things.

[She chuckles.]

Not at the moment. I did have some canned meat, but it wasn't much better than the protein.

[mech_and_mutt]

Why can't there just be some booth I can go to find jobs...

[Well, hopefully that bar set by the canned meat was a little bit higher...]

I'm almost afraid to ask what kind of meat it was.

[continuousgroaning]

You can find work on the planets we visit, if that's your style.

[A little groaning noise escapes her mouth.]

The cans said it was unicorn meat. I'm not sure if it was really that, though.