Another container was full of randomly jumbled 7-color Rubik's cubes that poured out.
This time I managed to jump away, avoiding the torrent of things spilling from the open container, so instead it knocked Pilot off his feet and not me.
Smirking at Pilot's tumbling and cries of "I WILL GET MY REVENGE ON YOU, FOUL CUBES!" I grabbed one cube for myself, stashing it in my jacket, just in case I ever get really bored. I mean, how would anyone ever solve one of these when the cube only has 6 sides? Maybe these were either designed NOT to be solved as some sort of a horrible metaphor for life, or perhaps it was a silent cry for help/rebellion from the forced-labor manufacturing workers that produced them.
image [http://rom.ac/img/63-a.jpg]
I crossed my fingers for good luck, hoping to find anything remotely useful, and broke into the third shipping container. It contained... thousands of cook books with the title "HOW TO BECOME A MASTER CHEF WITH ONLY A SINGLE MICROWAVE".
image [http://rom.ac/img/63-c.jpg]
Captain picked up one of the books and handed it to me.
"SNIPPY! ...THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM FATE! You are truly destined for greatness!
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/972564269390503976/1002937207453122731/63-ENG.jpg [https://web.archive.org/web/20230414225954im_/https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/972564269390503976/1002937207453122731/63-ENG.jpg]
You must quest to discover this holy microwave for the good of Captania and teach the people the proper and refined ways of food percolation via kinetoskopic broadcasting!"
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
"How about... no!" I shoved the cookbook away.
image [http://rom.ac/img/63-RUS-FULLB.jpg]
"THINK OF ALL THE TUBE SUBSCRIBERS YOU COULD OBTAIN WITH THIS AMAZING POWER!" Captain wiggled the book in front of my face.
"No, no... What if I get too famous?" I responded, slyly, "That is way too much responsibility."
Captain twirled the book and suddenly flung it at Pilot's head. Pilot caught the book instantly, without even flinching.
"EXCELLENT RESPONSE-TIME!" Captain barked, approvingly. "YOU WILL MAKE A FINE TEMPORARY-CHEF WHILE SNIPPY COMBATS HIS FAME-PHOBIAS."
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/972564269390503976/1002937206941421588/63-ENGsc.jpg [https://web.archive.org/web/20230414225954im_/https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/972564269390503976/1002937206941421588/63-ENGsc.jpg]
Pilot chimed. "I WILL BE THE VERY BEST MICROWAVE CHAUFFEUR, SIR! I WILL NEVER FAIL YOU IN THIS FINE MATTER, UNLIKE THE CRABSTACEAN SNIPPY! I WILL DRIVE THE MICROWAVE BEAST TOWARDS AMAZING FRONTIERS LIKE NO-ONE EVER HAS..."
image [http://rom.ac/img/63-d.jpg]
I shook my head and walked away as the endless and incredibly loud rant, filled with praises of Captain, riding microwaves, fighting dragons, insulting Snippys and so forth, went on and on and on.
My companions can be ridiculous, inexplicably random and incredibly annoying, that much is true. But... they are all that I have.
image [http://rom.ac/img/63-e.jpg]
I didn't want to admit it, even to myself... I finally had friends.