By the time we sat down, my stomach was audibly growling. I was the only one who had gotten a hamburger, as I was supposedly the only one with an appetite for frozen, slightly underdone meat topped with half-rotten vegetables. I didn’t see what they found so disgusting; this thing looked amazing!
Between two tan pieces of bread, the likes of which were topped with white spots that could’ve been either mold or flour, an inch-tall piece of meat was placed. The edges were rather smooth, and the meat was cooked to a rich chocolate brown, though Link swore he could see pink and blue chunks inside. A piece of lettuce, just barely poking out from the bun, drooped pathetically over the patty, almost dark enough to blend in with the meat below. Above it was a half-melted slice of orange cheese, which practically glued the vegetable to the bun. I pried and pried at it, trying to get a look at what else might be hiding inside, though I was unable to get it off. Must be a sign of how good it is!
My hands were practically trembling as I brought it to my face, the smell twirling up my nostrils and tickling my brain. Like an old virtual world with too many chatbots, I felt like I was going to crash. One bite and I might pass out. It’d probably be worth it.
A bit overzealously, I finally took a bite, sitting with the food in my mouth for a few seconds. I could feel the gazes of the four around me boring into my skin as they waited for my reaction. For a long moment, I couldn’t process anything. The hamburger sat in my hands, one side drooping toward the metal plate below. I sat perfectly still, my body struggling to catch up. Then, after a long moment, my mouth slowly began to move, at first a little hesitantly, before the flavor finally hit me.
“This is amazing.”
The words tumbled out before I could think, just barely pushing their way past the half-chewed hamburger. I could feel my pupils widening as I continued to chew, the flavors bursting on my taste buds. Savory meat, gummy cheese, slightly chewy lettuce, a hidden crunchy tomato that snapped with each bite, each one slightly salted and seasoned with plants I could never name…How did people eat these without dying of pure satisfaction? My head began to spin as I took another bite, each one more aggressive than the last. I needed more. I needed more. I’d do whatever it took to get another one. I’d go as far as to fight Craven and not even regret it later when I was lying in bed, halfway to death’s doorstep.
“You look like you’re about to crash.” Link tossed a yellow disc into his mouth. What were those called again? Chaps? Chups? Whatever they were, my parents had never let me have them, not virtually nor physically. “Must be pretty good, huh?”
“How did I live without this for so long?” I muttered softly to myself, staring into the dark, savory soul of my meal with undisguisable love.
“Wait until he has a home-cooked one,” Fickle chuckled. “I bet he’d fall into a coma.”
“Where do I get another one of these?” I held it out to them as though having to clarify what I wanted. I’m sure I looked like a small child. I certainly felt like one.
Alden pushed his plate of vegetables toward Craven, letting him take his pick. “Each person is only allowed one lunch per day, so I’m afraid they won’t let you get another.”
Won’t…let me?
“You’re telling me the robot won’t give me another hamburger? It doesn’t even have eyes! How would it know I’d come back for seconds?”
“They’ve got scanners on their bodies. They scan your face before handing you the food you want. You could go up there, but it would refuse you service.” Craven chewed absentmindedly on an orange stick. Currats, is that what they were called?
“They always have hamburgers once a week, so at least you’re guaranteed one. Sometimes, when stock is low, they’ll have them twice.” Alden watched as the tomato fell from my hands, hitting the plate with a wet ‘plop’. Now that it was visible, we could all see it was dark green.
“This isn’t fair! How could they introduce me to something so amazing and then expect me to eat only one?” I whined pitifully, my heart practically shattering in two. Is this what grief felt like? “It’s not like half the school even eats here.”
“Rules are rules.” Craven shrugged apathetically, his indifference almost making me scowl. Did he not see the issue here? Grumbling, I pulled my hamburger closer, this time making sure to take smaller bites. Best make this thing last. “And speaking of rules, I think we ought to inform you on the guidelines of the real world. With how unbelievably naive and dumb you are, you’ll certainly get us killed before long. Best you have some clue of what you’re getting yourself into.”
