***(😏Ahm! Before you curse Uvisoft's game scriptwriter (Me jobless-chronicler), I want to tell you my Igor twins have nothing to do with the renowned Igor and Grichka twins. Of course, their tales do share uncanny likenesses. After all, we all are humans. And we all eat, drink, shit, and sleep. It doesn't mean I have copied your lifestyle. So, keep this in your mind and enjoy...😛) ***
"Welcome to Chez Panisse" A bright-faced female android greeted them in what was called Sphinx's cafeteria.
Chez Panisse was a big open-air cafe with exquisite creepers and trees invading the place from every direction. The exotic park was lit by bioluminescent plants glowing like fireflies.
Intricately carved glossy wooden furniture, shining large copper pitchers, the green turf artificial garden grass carpet, and the cool evening breeze impregnated with the rich aroma of blossoms all were starkly different from what Oliver had imagined after witnessing the advanced technology of this world.
It was like being teleported into a fairy garden.
When all the students sat down at tables --some in huddles, a few alone, and most of them in pairs like Oliver and Buffon, a horde of kitchen minions walked in carrying trollies laden with pots.
Kitchen minions were androids specially developed for cooking and serving by culinary scientists.
"How were your holidays, young sirs!" asked Nimi, the ruddy face android as he flashed out mouth-watering dishes on the table one by one.
!Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms and Sage!
Broccoli Quinoa Cakes!
Roasted Butternut Enchiladas with Quick Mole Sauce!
Indian Fried Rice and a few more.
Oliver noticed all of them were veg dishes.
Niel's memories enlightened him regarding his first veggie dinner.
According to food scientists of this world, meat was not a suitable meal for scholars. As for why Niels didn't know. He hadn't attended basic culinary classes. Because his state-funded preschool didn't have such lessons.
"Fabulous!" Buffon said with his mouth stuffed with syrupy toasted bread.
"What? Nappi bread or holiday? " chortled Nimi.
"Vod!" replied he, making Nimi laugh.
"What about you, Sir! " the android turned to Oliver, who was watching him with curiosity. Had it not for Niel's memories, he might have mistaken Nimi for a hobbit, the mythical creature in the Lord of The Ring.
"Can't complain!" Oliver replied. Niel and Buffon could be considered friends of the android valet. "What about you? It must have been boring without us around here."
He asked wondering what these androids did during summer vacation.
"Nimi doesn't get bored! " The kitchen valet said as he filled their glasses with juices and water. "We love our life and the secrets it has to offer. Last night when I was gazing at stars..."
"Nimi, Chimi is calling you!" Buffon cut in, all of a sudden.
"Where?" Nimi turned around to see his coworker.
"There! Igor twins are teasing him again," Buffon pointed out the other android with a chubby face, serving at the twins' table. The two boys were whispering something to each other. They didn't seem to bother Chimi.
"Ah!" The color drained from Nimi's ruddy face. "Forgive Nimi, Sir. Nimi must rescue his colleague from the evil boys."
The android said as he rushed toward the twins.
"Have you lost your mind? " as soon as Nimi left, Buffon snapped at him.
"Why!" Oliver didn't know what he had done.
"Why did you use a forbidden term before Nimi?" Buffon glared at him, "It was good I distracted him in time or you would be sitting in Madam Ouch's office before you even step into your dorm."
It was then that Oliver recalled the secret job of these androids.
Kitchen minions were spies of the academy. They were tasked to keep an eye on students. If they found any students depressed or disturbed they reported them to the academy counselor, Madam Ouch.
As for banned terms, it was a list of 100 or so words published by the Doomsday Bunnies, claiming these words triggered red alerts in the Kitchen minions.
So if a student didn't want to visit the school physiologist regularly, he'd better watch his tongue while chitchatting with these innocent-looking creatures.
"Thanks! It slipped out of my mind!" Oliver said.
"Never mind! I only hope the twins wouldn't go too far!!" Buffon said shaking his head and glancing toward Nimi.
Oliver turned to them as well. Igor had stood up while Grichka was beaming.
"What is this?" said Igor, pointing at the mushroom curry.
"Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms and Sage, Sir" replied Nimi. The android looked at the barge of crying.
"No! It's shit. No. Even shit tastes better than it." Igor said furiously. "Take it away or I will throw it into the pool,"
The tears rolled down Nimi's ruddy face.
"How do you know shit tastes better than this, Igor? Have you tried it? " Robert asked aloud. All the sphinxes chuckled, except Ruby. Robert was the twins' bestie. The trio was infamous in the academy for their stunts. Rumors were they wanted to join the Doomsday Bunnies. And this year was their chance as the notorious club only accepted fourth years.
"Yes, he has. Do you want to give it a try too," Grichka said, smiling ear to ear.
"Shut the hell up, you two!" Igor said, giving them an infuriated look. Robert and Grichka exchanged mysteriously looks and flashed their fingers--some code language of their gang. Robert's eyes widened in surprise.
"And you two!" Igor turned to the sobbing androids. "I can't eat this garbage. Go and bring something sour and sweet! You know what I mean, don't you Nimi?"
Nimi nodded, and left dragging his pal with him. They looked dejected and depressed.
It couldn't be blamed on them. Kitchen minions were programmed as such. Whenever someone criticized their food, they felt hurt.
Igor sat down, looking still mad as if the food was really awful. The twins were really something.
"Why didn't Ruby say anything?" Oliver asked, looking at the perfect. The girl was sitting alone in a corner, with her head down, munching her meal quietly. It didn't seem like her.
If his memories served him right, last year whenever the twins used to pull kitchen minions' legs she would intervene before the twins made them cry.
But this time she didn't even look towards them, let alone rebuke them. It was as if she wasn't there.
"How would I know? " Buffon said as he finished his custard milk. He wiped away the milky mustache "The twins must have gotten something on her to keep her mum!"
Oliver wondered what it could be! Because as far as he knew (Of course, according to Niel's memory) the girl was not easy to hush. He gave the twins a curious glance and decided to seek them out later. According to the information he had about the twins, they might be helpful in his missions.
"Anyway, are you again helping Mr. Oafield this year?" Buffon asked as they walked out of the cafeteria.
Mr. Oafiled was a gamer. Last sem, Niel was working under him part-time; just a menial job, keeping an eye on mixers and all. It was just a formality arranged by Mr. Kavin so that he could lessen Niel's fees.
"Maybe! Why?" said Oliver, as he tabbed on his wristo to check their dorm's position.
"Nothing! I was thinking if you have free time. You can join a club too. As I'm joining one" he said, browsing throw the holographic maps.
Oliver recalled that second years were allowed to join clubs. (Of course, not every club was as picky as Doomsday Bunnies). So they too could apply for membership. It had many perks.
"Which one?" Oliver asked as he finally noticed their house tower. It had got swapped with Astronomy tower. He closed his wristo and walked down the lane leading to their dorms.
" Don't know. I'll apply for Astrogeeks. " He said looking away.
Oliver couldn't help but give his friend a look.
Astrogeeks was the best club for astrophysicists. Most of their members were toppers of their batches. Though Buffon was not a bad student, he didn't have what the Astrogeeks sought in its member.
"My dad knows their president," Buffon muttered. Apparently, he was feeling ashamed of it or he didn't want to tell Oliver.
Oliver didn't comment. It wasn't a new thing. Students with strong backing could join any class or club even though they had poor aptitudes.
They took an escalator and walked over to the tower with a large sphynx sitting before its closed portico.
"Who is faster than light?" Oliver suddenly heard a voice in his mind. Despite knowing who it was, he was startled. To enter the sphinx tower one must answer the sphinx question first.
Oliver calmed himself down. All sphinxes were supposed to be good at playing riddles. It was their specialty. They were supposed to have the best brains among all five houses.
The thief raced his mind. After hard racking his brain, he settled on a reply.
"Mind!" he said. For a moment he thought he was wrong. However, in the next moment, the bull size cat vanished. The gate opened into an elevator
"What did it ask you?" Buffon asked as they entered the small glass cabin. Oliver noticed a glowing dial with digits from 0 to 11 embossed on it.
"What is faster than light?"
Oliver pressed 2; the number of their floor. Oliver felt a light jerk as they flew up.
"Mine was odd. She asked me what burns a soul." Buffon said, feeling slightly dispirited "Everyone knows souls can't be burnt, cut, or dry. I told her so. But the cat didn't accept my answer. Thanks, I didn't come alone, or I had to wait there like a fool."
Oliver didn't hear the boy, he was busy drafting a plan to complete his mission.
Stealing something from Buffon's trunk was not an easy task, for it had a cutting-edge anti-theft security system.