Several days had passed since we departed Commercial Colony 'Azurite'.
The route to our next destination, Planet Zepha, was a long one. We still had more than half a month of travel ahead of us.
"Eighteen days until arrival, huh," I muttered to myself, staring at the star chart on the bridge.
It wasn't a journey that required any particular haste, and I didn't have any pressing business to attend to. We might as well settle in and take our time. There was plenty of it to adjust the new equipment and run diagnostics on our gear.
When I poked my head into the dining area, I found Emalgand spreading various items across the table. There were exploration drones, cylindrical devices for atmospheric analysis, and metal frames held together by wires and spring mechanisms.
"What's all that?" I asked.
"These are capture traps. Since the Byun move at high speeds, I thought traps to stop them in their tracks would be more effective than trying to hunt them directly... I bought a few based on reports from Planet Zepha's local investigators."
Emma timidly picked up a compact trap wound with wire. It was apparently designed to trigger based on wind pressure once set.
"Can you even use those in a storm?"
"Theoretically, yes... but the settings are a bit complicated."
Mina poked her head in from the side and snatched up the trap, her rat ears twitching with interest.
"You can adjust the tension on this spring right here, can't you? Wouldn't it work if we just tweaked the sensitivity to match the wind speed?"
"Ah, is that possible?" Emma asked.
"Yeah, it's easy. Just a sec."
Mina quickly began tinkering with the mechanism. Emma watched from the side, her eyes wide with admiration. "That's amazing..."
The drones remained on the table, likely next on Mina’s list to overhaul. I picked up one of the remaining traps and examined it. It was a simple structure, but well-thought-out. I didn't understand the engineering behind it, but as long as it caught the prey, I didn't have any complaints.
"Emma, you made a good call buying these."
"Huh? Really? Thank you so much!"
Startled by the sudden praise, Emma practically hopped in place.
When a meticulous researcher and a skilled engineer teamed up, even a single piece of equipment could spark a deep conversation. These two were the ones holding our operation together.
In that case, I should focus on my own job.
I pulled some Crystal Salmon fillets I’d prepared earlier from the freezer. Today, I was going to cook them in foil.
I laid out a sheet of silver heat-resistant foil, covered it with a base of thinly sliced pseudo-onions, and placed the fillets on top. I slathered them in plenty of mayo-type fat and finished it with a drizzle of seaweed soy sauce. After sealing the edges tightly, I slid the packets into the oven.
Heat began to circulate through the foil almost immediately. At first, it was subtle, but soon the rich aroma of mayo-soy sauce began to drift through the dining area. The scent of fat sizzling into savory steam was the kind of smell that targeted the appetite with surgical precision.
I let them steam for about ten minutes.
Mina eventually set her tools down on the table. "Something smells incredible..."
Without me even realizing it, Lucia was standing at the edge of the room, and even Emma had looked away from her terminal. It seemed the right aroma could summon people more effectively than any shout.
I pulled the silver packets from the oven, set them on the table, and sliced them open with a knife.
As the steam escaped, the mellow fragrance of mayo-soy sauce exploded into the air. The rendered fats blended with the natural oils of the salmon, while the toasted, savory scent of the soy sauce hit our senses directly. At the bottom of the foil, a golden broth had pooled—a concentrated mixture of vegetable juices and salmon umami.
"Eat up while it's hot."
Mina's fork plunged into her portion of the salmon. With only the slightest pressure, the fish flaked apart.
"Mmm...! It's sho good! It's so tender...!"
"The richness of the fat... it's soaked all the way into the vegetables. I never knew mayonnaise and soy sauce were such a perfect match."
Emma's expression softened as she slowly savored the hot salmon and pseudo-onions.
I took a bite as well. As the plump meat fell away, a rich, mellow flavor filled my mouth. The heat had mellowed the acidity of the mayonnaise, allowing the savory punch of the soy sauce to tie the dish together.
Mina ate in silence for a while before muttering with a dazed expression.
"I feel like I lost."
"To what?" I asked.
"I was working on the drones, but before I knew it, all I could think about was dinner."
Emma let out a small giggle.
"Master... this is an excellent combination," Lucia noted, eating her portion with her usual poise. "The application of heat has rounded the profile of the fats."
"Once we hit Planet Zepha, we’re hunting the Byun," I said. "How I cook them will depend on the meat quality."
"Real meat...! I don't care how you cook it, I'm just excited to finally have some!"
"But before that, we have to survive the next eighteen days on this ship, so we'd better keep eating well," Emma added with a warm smile, dipping her spoon back into the salmon.