The Sperm Whale glided smoothly into its berth at the commercial colony known as the Transaction Hub.
While our outbound journey had been marred by a skirmish with space pirates, the return trip had been the picture of peace. I offloaded our cargo of Refined Rare Metal Ingots and set about selling the Industrial Lubricant I’d packed into every spare inch of the hold. Thanks to a sudden spike in maintenance demand, the oil I’d purchased for a pittance at Hephaestus sold like wildfire here, fetching nearly triple the original price.
"…In total, a profit of two million credits. Not bad at all."
I checked the account balance on my handheld terminal and nodded with satisfaction. My total assets now hovered around eight million credits. It was still a long way from the fifty million required for Lucia’s taste sensor upgrades, but as far as day trading went, it was a stellar result.
"Master, what are your plans for our next scheduled task?"
"Ah, let’s see… How about we actually take a break for once?"
At my suggestion, Lucia and Mina exchanged surprised looks.
"A rest, you mean?"
"Yeah. Things were chaotic at Hephaestus, and Mina spent half the time pulled away for all-night maintenance marathons. We’ve got the credits, so let’s go let off some steam."
I’d been working myself to the bone since I arrived in this world. Part of that was the sheer desperation to survive, but now that we had some breathing room, I realized that recharging my batteries was also part of the job. Besides, I just wanted to have some fun. I wanted to browse useless junk and idle away the hours. I might even find a new "breadwinner"—and I meant that literally; I was looking for a decent meal, not just more money.
"Agreed! I want to check out the shopping mall over there!"
"I recommend this course of action. Maintaining the crew’s mental health improves long-term operational efficiency."
With the vote unanimous, the Sperm Whale crew’s holiday was officially underway.
The commercial district of the Transaction Hub was as vibrant and polished as ever. Mina was immediately glued to the display windows showcasing the Latest Tool Sets and hologram figures. I walked leisurely a few paces behind her, enjoying the atmosphere.
As for Lucia…
"Master, there is a location I would like to visit."
"Oh? Where to? A clothing boutique?"
"No. A bookstore."
Lucia led me to a massive media shop. Although she called it a bookstore, the shelves weren't lined with paper volumes. Instead, they were packed with colorful packages that, to my eyes, made the place look more like a game store.
As I’d noticed before, entertainment and information in this world were sold as physical devices. Inside each package was a data chip—something like a flattened USB stick or a thin floppy disk. Some said this was a countermeasure against piracy through physical hardware keys; others claimed it was simply to satisfy the human urge to "own" a physical object. It certainly wasn't just so I could find information memos scattered around for gameplay reasons.
Lucia headed straight for the reference section without a moment's hesitation.
"What are you looking for?"
"Data or literature regarding cooking. I wish to systematically study your culinary techniques, Master, to strengthen my support capabilities."
What a diligent soul. Impressed, I began scouring the shelves alongside her. You might think we could just look this stuff up on the galactic internet, but the web in this era wasn't a freely open space. It was a walled garden of corporate landing pages and invitation-only communities. There was no culture of widely sharing "personal knowledge," which made the information on these physical media incredibly valuable.
However…
"…There’s nothing."
"It appears you are correct."
The shelves were filled with titles like Efficient Nutrition Intake Guide, Supplement Encyclopedia, and Latest Food Printer Catalog. There wasn't a single sign of a book describing primitive cooking methods like "chopping, boiling, or frying."
Come to think of it, it made sense. In a galaxy where people who actually cooked were a rare species, there was no market for recipe books.
"Search results for the shop's database are also zero. Systematic culinary data does not exist here."
"Well, I suppose that—wait, what's this?"
My hand stopped on a package with a particularly flashy cover.
Galactic Tour: Exquisite Gourmet Guide
It looked like a special feature on various tourist planets.
"Oh, a gourmet guide. This might actually be useful for something…"
It was pocket change to me now, so I took the package to the register and slotted the chip into my terminal on the spot. But as I scrolled through the first few pages, my expression darkened.
Planet Aqua Resort Exclusive! Taste the Ocean with our Sea Breeze Flavor Tasty Cube!
The Passion of the Desert Star! Super Spicy Spice Flavor Cube (Contains Real Scorpion Powder).
A Must-Have for Any Traveler! The Local Cube Complete Box.
"…What is this trash?"
More than eighty percent of the guidebook was dedicated to "Limited Edition Local Tasty Cubes." The holograms showed nothing but colorful, geometric solids. They weren't dishes made from local ingredients; they were just synthetic food cubes flavored with the "vibe" of a location. This was the true face of "gourmet" in this galaxy.
"This is depressing. People travel across the stars just to eat these?"
"My analysis suggests that for the average citizen, raw local ingredients present high hurdles in terms of hygiene and cost. Therefore, safe and inexpensive cubes are the recommended standard."
My shoulders slumped in disappointment. But as the saying goes, when one door closes, another opens. As I mindlessly flicked through the remaining pages, a tiny column at the back of the book caught my eye.
For the true connoisseur: The morning markets of the ocean planet Azurite Prime trade in freshly landed, unprocessed seafood (Proper licensing required).
"…This is it."
My eyes gleamed. It wasn't the main tourist draw, but there were definitely places where "real ingredients" existed. The fish of Azurite Prime. They might be reserved for the ultra-wealthy or weird enthusiasts, but they were there.
The memory of the Tasty Cube: Sashimi Flavor I’d once eaten flashed through my mind. That blasphemous, rectangular block that smelled vaguely of stagnant water and had the texture of a pencil eraser.
But this was different. This was a world with actual, swimming fish. If I went there, I could overwrite that nightmarish memory with something real. Translucent slices of sashimi dipped in soy sauce and wasabi. Fatty grilled fish. Just thinking about it made my mouth water. I wanted to set course for that system this very second.
Then, I looked at Lucia standing beside me. She was expressionless, but she was scanning the data of the gourmet guide with genuine interest. If I took her there now, while she still couldn't taste a thing, we wouldn't be able to share the experience.
"…Lucia. Once we find a specialist and finish your refitting, we’re going here first."
I pointed to the page for Azurite Prime.
"Fresh fish from an ocean planet. In my memory, there is no flavor more delicate or luxurious than that. It’s the only choice for your first meal."
"…Understood. Updating goal settings. Registering ‘Dining at Ocean Planet Azurite Prime’ as a top-priority objective."
I could have sworn I saw Lucia’s eyes flicker with a faint, happy light.
Our destination was set. However, getting there required preparation. I had to overcome the fifty-million-credit wall and find the information necessary to make it happen.
"I’m all done shopping! I need a break!"
Mina was waving at us from down the hall, trailing several Following Drones loaded with her purchases. I closed my terminal and let out a soft breath.
"Yeah, we’re coming!"
It had been a good holiday. But we couldn't just keep resting forever. Once we’d had some tea, it would be back to work. I needed a big score to earn that fifty million, or at least a lead on a technician capable of upgrading Lucia.
Whatever the case, we needed to get moving again.