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I did as she asked and the pad lit up while an automated voice inside my head asked what I wanted to eat. Of course, I thought of burgers, pizza, and ice cream.
In return, the spaceship dropped a plate of green goop that had a concerning wobble like jelly or aspic.
I pulled my nose up. "What's that?"
"Ship guts," the green-haired Kyven replied. "It's good for you."
"Is it really edible or is this another tool cabinet?"
To prove her point, the pilot leaned down and took a playful bite from the top of the jelly. "It tastes better than it looks."
Part of me just wanted to throw it in the bin but my rumbling stomach reminded me that I'd regret that later. Reluctantly, I nibbled on the edge, trying to ignore how weirdly slippery and smooth it was. A sour taste spread through my mouth, followed by a horrid bitterness that reminded me of the time I tried to eat a roasted coffee bean.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but it does not taste better than it looks," I said once I'd managed to swallow. My stomach turned just thinking about taking another bite. I couldn't. “I can’t eat this.”
"Here, try this." The pilot handed me something similar to a protein bar in a see-through wrapper.
"Are you sure?" While it looked better, I was still cautious as I took my first bite of the crunchy bar. A welcome sweetness exploded on my tongue and instantly erased the lingering bitterness from the jelly. "Mmm, yum. That reminds me of my favourite candy bar. Wow, that's so good. Where did you get that from?"
"Home," the other woman replied with a shrug.
"It's amazing. Thank you." I quickly devoured the whole thing. If I'd known the food was going to be so bad, I'd have brought my own. At least now I knew to bring a whole lot of snacks back with me on the return journey.
Once my immediate hunger was stilled, I could think straight again. I still didn't know the pilot's name and she'd already helped me twice.
"I don't think I caught your name," I told her.
"Why would you catch my name? It's not on the run," she replied with a confused frown.
"It's an expression in my language. I meant, I don't know your name."
"That's correct," she said with a little grin, clearly enjoying herself.
"What is your name?"
"No, What is not my name." A flash of pink shot past us and bounced up against the wall, landing on the pilot's shoulder. She smiled warmly at the qoark and tickled its belly. Or face. "Hello, Jiji. You finally decided to join me?"
The fluffy animal squeaked like a cat toy that was being massacred.
"Aww, you silly thing."
I yelped when it jumped on my shoulder and rubbed its soft pink far against my face. It reminded me a little of the softest lamb wool, but just in a nauseating colour. It kind of looked like a ball of wool, too.
"Jiji likes you."
"I don't know why," I told her, gently lifting the qoark up and holding it in my hands so I could study it. Up close, I could make out a pair of beady eyes hidden deep within the fur and a tiny mouth that looked a little like an octopus beak. It was a weird creature that seemed to hold a lot of affection for the pilot.
It made me miss my sheep. It was a shame I couldn't bring them with me but totally understandable; there were too many of them and they weren't exactly well-behaved. Mocha always peed on my shoes and Cloudling liked nibbling on my shirt, but they'd been with me ever since my parents died. I'd never been separated from them for very long.
This trip better be worth it.
"I still don't know your name," I said when I felt the pilot's gaze on me.
"Maybe it should stay that way. It's kind of fun."
"It's not fun for me. I don't like having a conversation with someone if I don't know their name."
Her eyes lit up with mirth. "Oh, you want to have a conversation with me?"
