“I have figured out,” Jerd proclaimed, “how to make waffles.”

“Oh, please, share with us,” said Nacluv. “Considering you’re fed the same mush as the rest of us.”

“Happily,” Jerd said. “For the batter, simply grind up a Type 2 nutrient cake and mix with water. I’ve got the exact ratio written down here if you want to try it. That will approximate a true waffle batter.”

“Of course,” said Nacluv, eyes rolling.

“Then, a pair of standard metal boot treads, fresh from the sterilizer,” Jerd continued. “They can go right back in afterwards, too, making cleanup a breeze.”

“And to cook it?” Kowe said, smirking.

“Put the unit in a plasma conduit during a purge cycle. Clean, even heating means a perfect waffle. You can even use this schedule that I made up to determine the proper purge cycle for the waffle consistency you like. I prefer crispy, so I use Cycle 8.”

“Most important question, now,” said Kowe. “What about syrup?”

“Oh, that’s the easy part,” said Jerd. “There is a small amount of sugar syrup in Extract 32a. Just keep boiling it and you’ll eventually get a very viable syrup equivalent.”

“Sounds like you have it all figured out then,” Nacluv said. “Congratulations.”

“Not quite,” sighed Jerd. “I still need to find a good plate, fork, and knife. Those latter two are super-contraband.”

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