The first problem arose almost as soon as Mina joined the crew of the Sperm Whale. It was her clothes.
"Is... that the only outfit you have?"
"Yeah. Work clothes are functional. They hide the grease."
She wore nothing but oil-stained overalls that looked like a patchwork of scavenged scraps. While they might have been a badge of honor for an engineer, they were a bit of a problem for walking around the colony—especially considering where we were headed.
"Alright, we’re going shopping. First, we’re getting your equipment sorted."
"Equipment? Like new tools?"
"No. Clothes. Work clothes, casual wear, and... something fit for a decent restaurant."
We headed to a boutique in the colony’s Commercial District. I didn't have a shred of fashion sense, but I had an excellent android on my side.
"Lucia, you’re up. Pick out something that suits her."
"Understood. Physical data scan of the subject complete... Searching for recommended styles."
Lucia’s reddish-purple eyes glowed faintly as she processed the data. A few minutes later, a mountain of clothes was stacked in front of the fitting room.
"A functional work jumpsuit. Casual wear suitable for activity within the colony. And..."
The final piece Lucia held out was a deep navy one-piece dress. It wasn't flashy, yet it wasn't plain, either. It was an inspired choice that perfectly complemented Mina’s hair and eyes.
"I... have to wear this?" Mina asked, grimacing with clear distaste.
"It’s hard to move in. Skirts are a snag hazard."
"Don’t complain. I booked a table at a highly-rated restaurant for tonight as a welcome party. The place has a dress code."
I practically shoved Mina into the fitting room. After a while, the curtain opened hesitantly.
"............How do I look?"
The grime-streaked gutter rat from the back alleys was gone.
Her ash-brown hair, now scrubbed clean of oil, had been styled into a glossy short bob, making her large, round rat ears stand out adorably. The dress hugged her small, slender frame, accentuating her fair skin and her slightly upturned blue eyes.
She looked like she could pass for a young lady from a prestigious family, though her ears—flicking restlessly back and forth—betrayed her nerves.
"Not bad. In fact, it suits you perfectly."
"I feel... exposed. It’s too airy." Mina gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, her gaze darting around the room.
After finishing our shopping, we headed to our reservation at Restaurant Celestia.
Located on the colony’s upper levels, it was a high-end establishment with a panoramic view of the night scene beneath the artificial sky. The average bill started at tens of thousands of credits per person, but I kept that detail to myself.
Online reviews raved about it, calling it "The ultimate cuisine in pursuit of purity" and "A space of true refinement."
A waiter in a black suit guided us to our seats. The other patrons were clearly wealthy, adorned in glittering jewelry and tailored suits.
"...Hey, Akito," Mina whispered. "I don’t know how to act in a place like this. I don't even know how to use these... things."
"It’s called cutlery."
"Right, that."
Mina flinched at the array of silver utensils. She was so confident when wielding a wrench, yet in front of a spoon and fork, she was as meek as a mouse.
"Don't sweat it. The person paying the bill is the one in charge."
"...That’s a reckless way of looking at it."
"I’m no expert either. Just copy the people around us and look like you belong here."
I opened the menu and ordered the most expensive course. Before long, the appetizers arrived.
"What is this?"
Sitting on the plate was a stark white cube. Tofu? No, it was firmer and had a polished sheen.
The main dish was no different: a cylindrical cut of meat that looked like it had been bleached white, accompanied by "vegetables" cut into perfect geometric shapes.
"This is our 'Pure White Course,'" the waiter explained proudly. "We have removed all impurities and pigments from the ingredients to the utmost limit, reconstructing only the essential nutrients and umami."
So that’s what they meant by "purity," I thought. I picked up my knife and took a bite of the white meat.
"...Hoh."
It was soft, crumbling and melting across my tongue. What followed was an intense, almost overwhelming wave of "meat umami."
There was no unwanted aftertaste. No gaminess. Only the flavor components that triggered a pure hit of dopamine in the brain had been extracted.
"I see..." I groaned in appreciation.
Honestly, before eating, I’d dismissed it as pretentious, tasteless junk. But this was different.
It was the polar opposite of my culinary philosophy—the absolute pinnacle of "subtraction." It stripped away the quirks and individuality of the ingredients, leaving behind only the most delicious "core." It lacked vitality or wildness, but it was a work of art born from the marriage of technology and science.
It was, in its own way, worth the high price tag.
When I glanced sideways, I saw Mina had stopped moving. Her fork was still in her mouth, her blue eyes wide and trembling.
"...Mina?"
"............"
She chewed slowly, then swallowed hard. A single tear rolled down her cheek.
"Hey, you okay?"
"...I don't know." Mina stared blankly at her plate, not even bothering to wipe the tear away. "Components, efficiency... none of that matters. It’s just... incredible. My whole mouth is so... full..."
Her ability to articulate had failed her. For someone who had survived on near-expired rations and tasteless synthetic blocks, this torrent of pure flavor was likely a sensory overload. She couldn't analyze it; her instincts were simply overwhelmed.
"...It’s delicious. So, so delicious."
With trembling hands, Mina began to eat with total absorption. Every movement was careful, as if she were trying to savor every microsecond of the experience, yet she was clearly driven by an insatiable appetite. In that moment, she wasn't the logical engineer—she was just a girl her age, moved to tears by a good meal.
"Is that so? Good."
I went back to my own meal, savoring the white meat. It was definitely good. But at the same time, a small sense of impatience began to stir within me.
"...That was amazing," Mina murmured even after we left the restaurant.
Her stomach was full, and her face, still basking in the afterglow of the meal, looked healthier than I’d ever seen it.
"A good experience, right?"
"Yeah... I didn't know things that tasted like that existed in the world. It was so clean, so kind..."
Mina looked up at the "stars" with an enraptured expression. I rubbed the bridge of my nose.
This is bad.
Mina’s standard for "good food" was being calibrated to that sanitized, bleached flavor. It was perfect in its own way, but it was too refined. It lacked the humanity needed for a daily diet, and more importantly, it was the exact opposite of what I wanted to achieve.
"That was subtractive cooking, Mina. A flavor that discards everything to find purity. But that’s not what I’m going for."
I looked up at the night sky and spoke with conviction.
"I’m aiming for additive cuisine. Something messy and powerful, where the individualities of the ingredients clash. A meal that makes you appreciate everything—the char, the marrow, all of it."
"...?"
Mina tilted her head, looking confused. It hadn't clicked for her yet. She didn't know what "true addition" tasted like.
"Just wait. Once the kitchen is ready, I’ll show you what real food tastes like every single day."
I had to feed her my cooking before she was completely brainwashed by the sanitized flavors of this world.
We were going to build the best kitchen money could buy. And I was going to make a meal so good it would overwrite today’s experience entirely.
With our spirits high, we began the walk back to the Sperm Whale.