Chapter 5: Dining in the 29th Century

A drone delivered plates, bowls, and other containers with no conventional names to the table. A black man wearing a plastic cap stood nearby, visibly moved. With the candidness of a child, Ada spontaneously asked:

“Are you okay, sir?”

“Ah ... I’m fine.”

His hands trembled, but he gave them an odd tug and regained his composure.

“Let’s move on to the presentation of the dishes. Thank you for being our guests today.”

He cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and began:

“Human Society has conquered many worlds and encountered many Xeno brethren. Few civilizations, however, have developed a culinary culture like humanity’s. Not that they lack gastronomy, but their traditions are different. Many Xeno dishes are bland or unpleasant to our palates, sometimes toxic, or based on molecules that our bodies cannot digest—like those with the wrong chirality.”

“Chirality?”

“It means they’re reversed. But I assure you, all the dishes in our restaurant contain molecules that go in the right direction. Here’s a selection of dishes.”

He gestured toward a bowl seemingly carved from black stone with wide edges, filled to the brim with steaming soup. Rings of what looked like onion floated to the surface, encircling mushroom “planets.”

“This is Star Soup, to be tasted first. It’s a dish from the moon Iridium of Lennox-3. This moon is dense and luminous, with such strong gravity that one typically cannot stay there for more than six years. Star Soup is a local tradition—the floating elements represent the Lennox solar system. The soup is poured to the brim because the gravity is so strong that it never spills. Be careful, dear guests—a single drop spilled represents six years of bad luck.”

Next, he indicated a shiny orb encased in a golden mesh.

“Next, try catching an Orb of Orion Prime, the space station orbiting Francisco-1, the fragmented planet. It’s very light, and you’ll need to approach it gently to avoid it being pushed away by the movement of air. It’s a salty biscuit that fizzes on the last bite.”

He pointed to a large drop of golden liquid served on a wide leaf, accompanied by a straw.

“This is Xeno mangrove sap, extracted from the moon Valentine, orbiting in the shadow of the gas giant Verone-1. Valentine is a marshy place filled with ruins. It has been declared a Protected Natural Park by the Transients, with all existing mangroves originating from a single cutting. A civilization once thrived on Valentine before transcending. They used tree genetics to store their information, so this is sweet—but it’s like eating a book.”

He showed a flared bowl adorned with patterns, emitting a delightful coriander aroma. Floating within were meatballs and large pieces of pasta.

“The main course comes from the Mythical Earth. Earth has many dishes, but the most common one throughout the universe is pizza.”

“Have you ever had pizza?” Solstice asked telepathically.

“No...” Ada thought, disoriented.

“It’s delicious. Try it sometime.”