Page 30 of Thalen

Despite his earlier protests, Jason was obviously enjoying his lessons. Part of the wall had the same embedded nanites as those in our temporary quarters aboard the Mylos ship before we took passage on the freighter, so that part of the wall could reorganize itself into a video screen which could be used like a giant computer screen, a video phone like now, or a TV. His teacher was in the middle, and I could see a mix of Mylos and human children in her classroom as she moved about as she spoke, explaining the lesson Jason found on my tablet, which I’d left there for him to use after unlocking it.

I could see a few children in squares and rectangles dotted around the perimeter of the screen, all of them Dragonii, and all of various ages ranging from around five or six by my reckoning to teens. I quickly counted the squares. There were twenty-five. Twenty-five kids of school age, the rest presumably babies and preschoolers. Several were obviously siblings as they shared a rectangle. Only three looked to be Jason’s age or thereabouts, the rest either towards the very low end of the age range or older teens.

Still, a friend group of three for Jason was better than none, and there was no rule that said older kids, as well as younger, couldn’t join in on games and such.

I hurried past him so I could go change my jeans and wash my hands, then hurried back to get to the kitchen, hoping I hadn’t proved to be a disruption. Not hearing anything other than the teacher call on Jason so he could ask a question, there was nothing, so I relaxed.

“Bob?” I called out quietly.

“Yes, Evan?” Bon replied just as quietly.

“I need a recipe for hash browns. I presume the space potatoes can be cooked like Earth ones?”

“They can,” he confirmed.

“Um, Jason’s using my tablet for school. Can you walk me through the recipe?”

“How about I start you a recipe card box? I can not only walk you through the recipe, but print it on a recipe card for you so you’ll have easy access to it next time.”

“I love that idea!”

A light from the replicator caught my eye, and I turned to find a cute little off white box with a very retro floral pattern on it of bright yellow flowers with orange middles. I walked over and opened it, thrilled to find a recipe card index inside that was color coded and labeled so main dishes, side dishes, and desserts were easily discernible. On top of that, there were not one but two recipe cards already inside, with a little raised tab on top of each. One read BREAKFAST HASHBROWNS and the other HASHBROWN CASSEROLE with AKA FUNERAL POTATOES beneath it in a much smaller font. I pulled the casserole one out, intrigued, then grinned. It was an awful lot like tater tot casserole, which I’d adored whenever they served it in school, only it used freshly shredded potatoes or thawed, shredded hash browns. There was a picture above the recipe itself, showing what it should look like once prepared, and at the bottom of the card, Bob had listed the origin of the recipe. Both of them were from a 1953 edition of the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

“This is so cool,” I told him.

“I am authorized to produce a copy of that very same cookbook if you wish. It has pictorial step by step instructions. That way, we do not risk distracting Jason from his lessons with my voice.”

That was an excellent suggestion. I could refer to the cookbook anytime I wanted until I got the hang of making the recipe, and then just use the card to get the ingredient amounts right.

“Yes, please, and thanks. It’s a fab suggestion.”

Before I could so much as blink, a ring binder style cookbook sat in the replicator.

“Bob,” I said after taking it out and looking through cabinets and drawers. “I don’t see a grater like the one in the book. How am I supposed to shred the potatoes?”

A metal tower grater appeared next. Thankfully, I’d already owned a peeler and had put it away with the rest of the kitchen stuff yesterday. I’d simply not owned a grater because pregrated cheese was often on special at the supermarket and it was cheaper to buy a bag or two of that and use it up than a whole block of cheese. Thalen had a grater, but it was a small one that made finely grated cheese, which was fine for a lot of things, but not this.

I set to washing the potatoes, wondering as I watched the not very dirty water go down the drain where the water went. New Haven was super duper eco-conscious, so I knew it didn’t simply all dump out somewhere into a hole. Presumably all our used water went to a septic tank, as did everyone else’s, as I’d not seen a water treatment plant anywhere, and I’d studied a map of the colony before our arrival.

I really need to read more of that Guide To New Haven they gave me.

Washing and peeling finally done, with the peels going into the recycler, I sat down at the kitchen table and began shredding the potatoes using the side of the grater that I found made the right size pieces for what I wanted. I soon found out it was tedious, hard work, and that if I wasn't careful, I’d catch my palm on the grater for a very ouchie experience.

Next time, I’ll bring my laptop and headphones out so I can watch videos while doing this sort of thing.

It was done at last, and soon I was ready to start frying them up on top of the griddle on my oh so fabulous stove. The recipe called for lard, which made my arteries clog just thinking about it, but the replicator quickly provided me with a healthier plant based substitute, which worked just fine. A quick question to Bob in a low voice told me how to rewarm the biscuits, which turned out to be super easy. When Jason’s lessons were over for lunch, I sent him out to go fetch Thalen so they could both wash up. I had a lunch I was very proud to serve them, even if my space potato hash browns were a bit crispier in a few places than was ideal. They weren’t burnt, though, so I took it as a win, especially as now I’d done it, I could do it again with even better results.

“This is real good, Dad,” Jason said, pouring some Hunts ketchup that had made it from our apartment in a stasis unit over his hash browns.

“Indeed. I would happily eat these things several times a week,” Thalen declared.

I beamed at them both. “Just you wait. I’ve got a cookbook that has lots of recipes inside and pictures to show me what to do. We’ll be eating like kings, just you see.”

Thalen nodded. “I have no doubt of that, my mate.”

I felt all goopy inside and wanted to kiss and hug the stuffing out of him. He was the sweetest, most loving, sexy ass man alive, and he was all mine. And the final part of the treaty requirements was going to be met as soon as that bed arrived and was put together and we could get Jason to give us some privacy.

My dick hardened just thinking about getting to touch all those muscles and kiss his sexy, sexy mouth. Not to mention finally getting to get a good look and feel of that python he had in his pants. My hole clenched just thinking of that breaching me. We were going to need a lotta prep, which would just add to our fun.