Pies. Yum.

Who knew she'd discover a strange new treat on this floating starship in the middle of the black of space?

Arachna buried her beak in one of the steaming hot pies. The syrup coated her legs and body. It was hot enough to burn a Yumen but not her. Her entire face was covered in blue and red berries that were pasted together by a syrupy goo that also tasted delicious. The flaky crust actually blended well with the insides of the pie. She half-suspected it was just a shell-like covering. Still, it was one of the best parts.

Horde, perhaps these Yumens actually knew what they were doing.

She buried her extensible beak in the next pie. This one had a different type of fruit in it. Apples. The word popped into her mind. Something her host had once eaten, perhaps? This pie had sliced apples covered in sweet white powder. Different than the first but delicious.

Arachna wondered if she could make her own pies? How hard could it be? Maybe she could even make a Yumen pie or a Xitherium pie? Or mix Xitherium with some of these Yumen fruits and cake it in a flaky crust? Now that sounded delicious.

She scampered over the boiling vat of soup. What was in here in this thing? Plunging her beak in, she gulped.

Hot!

The searing liquid scorched her tongue. Horde, it hurt. The pain wasn't like the pain of a battle. This was different. This pain felt good. The blistering hot soup was a mixture of broth, multi-colored roots, and meat. She also thought there were a variety of spices mixed in that she didn't recognize. Most of the food was likely not something she would eat much of, except perhaps the meat. However, the heat made everything taste good somehow. She slurped up another beakful of the liquid.

She opened her mouth and let out a loud ahhh. This room was an amazing place. What other scrumptious treasures would it contain?

Next, she explored the dough. The Yumen chef had formed it neatly into an unfilled pie crust. Hmmm, so that was how they made these pie things. The chef had expertly crafted it into the shape of a pie and positioned it inside a metal foil, ready to be baked. Arachna tilted her head in observation. This was an interesting piece. Perhaps she could try filling it with something like the chefs had?

She searched the room. The other pies had some sort of white power on them that made them sweet. Perhaps more of that?

Scampering around, she found some under what looked like a large metallic tub. Sink? The word casually floated into her mind. Yes, this was called a sink. Underneath it were all sorts of curious things. A frilly brush. A yellow sponge that looked almost like coral. Rubber gloves. With her beak, she removed the box filled with white powder. It looked exactly like the powder on the apple pie. The box also had a label on it.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Cleaning Product

Caution: Toxic. Do not ingest.

For some reason, her Yumen vocabulary didn't include the word "ingest" or "toxic." Oh, well. This had to be the right ingredient. She clicked gleefully, excited to try out making her first pie.

The material was white and fluffy. Just what she'd needed. Picking it up with her beak, she scampered across the floor and dumped some into several of the unfilled pie crusts. Then she returned to the sink and placed the powder box where she had found it.

What else would be good in a pie? If only there were raw Xitherium coral in here. Maybe the yellow sponge would taste good...

Suddenly, the doorknob fidgeted.

Arachna reacted instantaneously. Best not to get caught. She didn't have time to climb back up into the vent, so instead, she tucked herself into a small box inside a food cart. Not an ideal hiding place, but it would do. She could peak over the rim to catch a glimpse of the room from her hiding place.

"Ahh, yes," Rupert said. "That pie hit the spot. Now to get back to wor—" His eyes widened, and he backstepped, a look of shock crossing his face.

Rupert said in angst, "Who ate the pies? A whole batch ruined. We're going to be late for Commander Rip's party."

The head chef threw up his arms and shook his head. "Must have been one of those Voidin' marines. Commander Rip doesn't ration them enough food that they have to sneak in here. I'll have to get to work making these new ones."

Rupert worked quickly, adding fruit filling to the pie crusts. The man worked furiously fast, his arms flailing as he filled the pies to the brim before adding the top portions of crust and placing them into the oven.

Arachna watched in admiration. It was fun to see a creature so intimately skilled at a particular craft. She was glad that she was able to at least contribute in a small way by adding in the white powder. In one way or another, she might benefit from this too. Pies were fed to Yumens that she would one day eat herself.

Circle of life. She wondered if the Yumens would taste better after they'd eaten such a delicious treat like pie. There was only one way to find out.

The other chefs entered the room and began placing containers filled with food on top of the metal cart—the cart that she was herself hiding in.

Arachna rubbed her hind legs together anxiously. Would they find her down in the box below? There was no way that she could just run out, or she'd be seen. That wouldn't work. But if she stayed in here, wouldn't they take her out eventually?

"Ready to go, Rupert?" the female chef said. "That last batch of pies will take a little longer, won't it? Rip will be waiting."

"I know, I know," Rupert said. "I'll insta-bake it. They'll never know it was rushed." He placed the pies inside the oven and then fiddled with the buttons on the side.

Beep, beeeep, beep.

Removing the pies, Rupert took in the smell. "There, that'll have to do. Hopefully, it cooked clean through."

"Fine, now let's go."

The chefs loaded up the pies and pushed out the cart.

Arachna huddled into a ball inside a box on the lowest shelf of the food cart—along for the ride.

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