Chương 39: Bonus Story : Stars Wars : Part 3 : Popcorn

Emma checked the time on her phone before looking up.

"We still have a few minutes before the movie starts."

"What shall we do while we wait?"

"We're going to get some popcorn." The hero looked at her for a few seconds without replying. The word meant absolutely nothing to him. Even so, he followed her to an area of the lobby where a large crowd had already gathered in front of a long, brightly lit counter. A queue stretched for several yards. Men, women, children... almost every moviegoer seemed to be waiting in the same place.

Some walked away carrying enormous yellow buckets filled with a strange-looking food, while others held gigantic cups filled with brightly colored drinks.

"I understand."

"Oh?"

"They are distributing rations before the trial begins."

"They're not rations."

"No?"

"They're just snacks." Aldric silently repeated the unfamiliar word.

"Snacks..." He waited a few seconds, hoping its meaning would come to him naturally. Nothing. The word meant absolutely nothing to him. They moved forward in line. Meanwhile, Aldric carefully observed the staff working behind the counter. The employees seemed to be perfectly coordinated. Some continuously filled large buckets with a strange white-and-golden substance, others prepared drinks, while several cashiers processed orders with remarkable speed.

At the center of the counter stood an enormous glass machine that never stopped producing more of the mysterious food. Small yellow kernels disappeared inside it, only to emerge a few seconds later transformed into countless white flakes.

"Their logistics are excellent..." When they finally reached the counter, one of the employees greeted them with a professional smile.

"Hello! What can I get for you?"

"One large popcorn to share, please, and two drinks." The employee quickly entered the order into the register.

"That'll be twenty-seven euros and eighty cents." Emma took out her bank card. Beside her, Aldric's eyes widened slightly. He looked at the register display. Then at the enormous bucket the employee was already filling.

"You just paid that much for provisions?"

"Welcome to the movies."

"That's normal?"

"Unfortunately, yes." She picked up the receipt while another employee finished filling the popcorn bucket. The fluffy kernels overflowed all the way to the lid. Aldric was still thinking. Such a price. For a single ration. His mind searched for a logical explanation. Then he found one.

"I understand."

"What is it?"

"This food must be extremely rare."

"Not at all."

"Then why does it cost so much?"

"Because that's just how it is." That answer did not satisfy Aldric in the slightest. In his world, the price of a commodity almost always depended on its rarity, the difficulty of producing it, or the cost of transporting it. Here, a handful of corn kernels cost nearly as much as an actual meal. This civilization truly remained incomprehensible. The employee placed the enormous bucket on the counter.

"Here you go." Emma picked it up before handing it to Aldric.

"Here." The hero accepted the container with both hands and the utmost care, as though Emma had just entrusted him with a chest filled with precious food meant to ensure the survival of an entire expedition. He quickly judged its weight. This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Then he examined the hundreds of small white flakes filling the container.

"Remarkable..." Emma picked up the two drinks.

"Come on, let's go." Aldric followed her without taking his eyes off the bucket. The more he looked at this strange ration, the more it fascinated him. It was surprisingly light despite its impressive size. It seemed dry, easy to carry, and plentiful enough to feed several people. And if it justified such an extraordinary price, it must possess exceptional qualities. He cast one last admiring glance toward the counter, where the employees continued tirelessly filling dozens of identical buckets.

"Their logistics are truly remarkable." They returned to their seats while the last moviegoers continued to settle in. The lights were still on, and the enormous white screen remained perfectly silent. A few conversations still echoed through the auditorium, but everyone seemed to know the movie would begin at any moment. Emma placed the two drinks into the cup holders before setting the enormous bucket of popcorn between them.

"We've still got a little time." Aldric nodded without taking his eyes off the container. Emma reached into the bucket. She grabbed a handful of popcorn. Then she brought it to her mouth. Aldric followed each of her movements. When she began chewing, he finally understood how this mysterious ration was meant to be eaten. He reached into the bucket himself. He picked up a single piece. Examined it for a few seconds. Then brought it to his mouth. The tiny flake burst between his teeth with a soft crunch.

Aldric remained perfectly still. He said nothing. His eyes stayed fixed straight ahead. Emma absentmindedly grabbed another handful. Aldric, meanwhile, picked up a second piece. The same result. Then a third. Still the same silence.

"Is something wrong?"

"Why does your army distribute food of such exceptional quality?"

"It's not an army..." Aldric didn't even seem to hear the correction. He picked up another piece of popcorn and examined it like a scholar studying an ancient artifact.

"This ration is lightweight." He picked up a second piece.

"It is dry." Then a third.

"It barely leaves any residue on the hands." Emma was already smiling. She knew he was about to launch into another analysis.

"It can be eaten without interrupting a march. It is easily shared among several soldiers." Another piece.

"It also appears to keep well for long periods." He thought for a few seconds before concluding with complete seriousness:"This ration could sustain an entire unit throughout a lengthy campaign."

"We eat it simply because it tastes good."

"Because it tastes good?"

"Yes."

"That is not its primary purpose?"

"Its only purpose is to taste good." In his world, no quartermaster would have devoted so many resources to producing food intended solely for enjoyment. Every ration served a specific purpose: to nourish, restore strength, or enhance a soldier's performance. No one would have built such a sophisticated machine simply to make something pleasant to eat. He reached into the bucket once more. He sampled several more pieces. The texture remained remarkably light. The lightly salted flavor was particularly enjoyable.

He now understood why so many spectators insisted on obtaining this strange ration before the movie began.

"Your civilization is truly fascinating..." Emma gave him an amused smile.

"Why?"

"You devote remarkable technology to improving food." She burst out laughing once again.

"It's just corn."

"Transformed by an exceptionally sophisticated machine."

"If you say so..." Without even realizing it, his hand kept returning to the bucket. Every time he developed a new theory, his fingers naturally reached for another handful. Meanwhile, Emma nibbled on only a few pieces now and then. She was far more entertained by Aldric's reasoning than by the popcorn itself.

The hero, completely absorbed in his logistical analysis, quietly continued making the contents of the bucket disappear, convinced that he was studying one of the most remarkable food innovations this strange civilization had ever created. The lights gradually began to dim as conversations slowly faded throughout the auditorium. At last, the enormous white screen came to life. Several logos appeared before giving way to the first trailers. Aldric's full attention immediately shifted to the screen.

He straightened slightly in his seat. His eyes never left the images unfolding before him. Each new film seemed to present another chronicle, another kingdom, or another battle worthy of careful study. Without even thinking about it, his hand reached into the bucket of popcorn. A small handful disappeared. On the screen, a knight was fighting a gigantic creature.

"A poor decision..." His hand drifted back into the bucket almost automatically. A few more pieces disappeared. The second trailer showed a high-speed car chase.

"An unusual strategy..." Another handful. Then a third. Then a fourth. Each time a scene caught his attention, his fingers instinctively reached for a few more pieces without his eyes leaving the screen for even a second. Beside him, Emma continued watching the trailers while casually snacking. After a few minutes, however, she noticed that the popcorn level seemed to have dropped considerably. She glanced over at Aldric. He appeared completely absorbed by what was happening on the screen.

His hand kept making the exact same movement. It dipped into the bucket, brought a few pieces to his mouth, then returned a few seconds later with almost perfect regularity. Emma smiled to herself. She decided not to say anything. She wanted to see how far this would go. The trailers continued one after another. A science fiction film was followed by a comedy, then an action movie. With each new preview, Aldric occasionally muttered a brief observation under his breath.

"That equipment seems poorly suited to the task..." Another handful.

"Why attack head-on?" Another handful.

"Now that's an interesting fortification..." After a few more minutes, Emma finally decided to grab another handful herself. She reached into the bucket, but her fingers immediately touched the cardboard bottom. Surprised, she searched for a few moments longer, hoping to find a few forgotten pieces, before looking down. The container was completely empty. Emma turned toward Aldric. The hero had not noticed a thing.

Still captivated by the images unfolding across the screen, he was holding one final handful of popcorn between his fingers. He casually brought it to his mouth, swallowed it without a thought, then returned his full attention to the trailers as though nothing had happened.

"Aldric..." At last, the hero looked away from the screen.

"Yes?" She simply held up the bucket.

"You ate all of it."

"I now understand why each soldier was issued an individual ration." Emma burst out laughing. The moviegoer sitting directly behind them, who had been listening to their conversation for the past several minutes, couldn't hold back a laugh of his own.

"He's not wrong..." he murmured with an amused grin.

"You didn't even realize you were doing it..."

"I was focused on the chronicles."

"That much is obvious."

"I'll buy another one during the intermission..."

"Excellent idea."

"But this time... you don't touch it until the movie starts."

"Of course." A few seconds later, however, Aldric's hand drifted back into the bucket. His fingers touched the bottom. He withdrew them, looked at his empty hand, then glanced at the container once more before concluding with complete seriousness:"The supplies have indeed been exhausted." Emma immediately buried her face in both hands while the moviegoer behind them burst into laughter for a second time.