AutoTerra: Operating Systems
Chapter 5: The Conversation

In addition to the cabin places of the ship's occupants, the Residential Deck is also equipped with various facilities such as residential areas on the planet even though it is not that wide, there are artificial parks, modern markets, light sports areas, and so on, and also the cafeteria.

In the spacious cafeteria it was already crowded with many people who were enjoying breakfast before starting their activities. One of the food supply workers who was a middle-aged fat woman was also busy behind the buffet table, adding new food into each of the food containers that were almost empty.

“Aduh…. Ordinary kayak. At this hour the food is almost gone,” his comments while taking empty food containers and replacing them with freshly filled side dishes. “Emang people ship his kayak on cooking malls, yes. Though in each cabin already prepared’in own kitchen.”

The woman looked back, yelling at one of the skinny workers passing by, “Oi, Aldebaran! Wash also this container!”

The woman threw the dirty container right on the head of the young man named Aldebaran. Aldebaran was certainly grimacing in pain while glaring at the woman.

“Do not males work!” Then the woman began arranging the food in one of the containers.

While taking the container earlier on the floor, Aldebaran muttered, “Don't malls. Don't males. From now on I go back and forth to pick up a dirty glass plate on the desks sono. Seen I've been eating blind paychecks all this time? Basic, old lady.” Then walk into the back room of the cafeteria.

“Aduh…. Ouch…. There are still people who eat again. They are on nambang ya so there is no end to bebe— Eh, satan?!”

As the woman was busy nagging while adding new side dishes to the container, she was startled by Astan's appearance before her.

The man was wearing only a sleeveless brown shirt, an orange jacket draped over the shoulder, wearing a brown headband, and goggles hanging around the neck. His face looked pale with reddish eyes, as well as disheveled orange hair. Astan's appearance can be said to be quite messy for people just waking up.

“Why is your face so pale? Abis got your equatorial storm?”

With a limp Astan replied, “Again for me to have a nightmare, Mak Rudah. Please stuffing for this sandwich, dong.”

“Mau apa isinya?”

“Suwiran ayam sama selada.”

Mak Rudah menaruh suwiran ayam dan selada di atas roti milik Astan.

“Pakai bubuk cabe juga.”

“Gila kau, Tong.” Mak Rudah melotot ngeri. “Pagi-pagi udah mau makan cabe aja.”

“Biar melek ini mata. Udah kerasa berat ini mataku, terlalu berat nampung beban kehidupan.” Sambil Astan menunjuk-nunjuk matanya yang agak sayu.

“Enggak usah lebay gitu juga, lah.” Mak Rudah menaburkan bubuk cabai ke roti. “Lambung aman makan cabe pagi-pagi?”

Astan mengacungkan jempol. “Aman. Lambungku ini lapis baja.”

“Kau kira seragam zirah, apa?” Mak Rudah kembali bertanya, “Mau nambah apalagi, nih? Menu buat sarapan agak terbatas. Siang nanti juga, soalnya belum ada transaksi daging di peternakan budidaya ayam dan sapi di Darzia.”

Ayam, sapi, kambing, dan hewan-hewan lain yang dibudidaya di Darzia sebenarnya merupakan hewan bawaan dari planet lain. Sudah ribuan tahun lamanya hewan-hewan sejenis itu wajib untuk dikembangbiakkan. Karena sejak nenek moyang dulu, umat manusia masih tidak bisa lepas dengan hewan-hewan ini walau mereka sudah bisa menerima makanan hewani dari hewan lain di berbagai planet.

The farm on the natural satellite itself was taken care of by a portion of the occupants of the Thornic Ship 035. They ventured to live and build farms in some areas of the Darzia Natural Satellite to meet the animal intake of the ship's inhabitants, because the animals themselves could not be developed on the spacecraft.

Although friendly to humans, Darzia's environment is filled with animals and ferocious monsters that will not hesitate to prey on humans. Therefore, they build farms in areas that are considered safe. Hunters also often get a mission offer to guard this farm from attacks by creatures of Darzia residents.

Returning to Astan, his eyes were busy choosing what additional food he wanted to eat for breakfast.

“Frying, gih.”

“Fry?” Mak Rudah was astonished, but still gave some fritters on the Astan plate. “Your breakfast menu is so antique, huh? Do hunters like the breakfast menu so?”

“Yes who told you to’in fried foods early in the morning?” Astan turned around to leave. “Ya, already. I eat first. I'll pay at the cashier.”

“Healthy You! Don't die silly! Bury the hard guy, you know?!”

Mak Rudah just shook her head to understand Astan. Sometimes he was also worried about the man who was often shunned by Guild members because of rumors of his physical strength that did not match the system's ranking calculations.

According to Mak Rudah, there is no harm in having a power better than the rank they have. Maybe the original Astan is strong, just because it rarely takes missions so his rank and level rarely rise.

“Any...”.

Suddenly a chef came out from the kitchen section, calling Mak Rudak.

“Mac, Aldebaran mecahin plate!”

“Hah?! What else does dedemit do?! Bless me!” Then he hurried to the back of the cafeteria.

Astan walked while carrying a tray containing his breakfast, looking for an empty seat. But everything seemed to be filled to the brim, until he found a row of dining tables with the corner seat still empty. There was filled by some hunters from Guilds who were eating while chatting.

Maybe it doesn't matter if Astan joins there.

“Excuse me, I'm sitting at—.”

Just as his butt landed on the chair, the hunters immediately went away from him, making Astan dumbstruck by themselves with their behavior.

“Oi! How about running away, anyway?! I'm not drawing, you know!”

No one is hugging. They'd rather stay away than eat with Astan.

The news of him having a stronger power that does not match his rank is known to many people. Of course, many do not like it, assume that there is fraud committed by Astan on the system, or due to errors in the system itself. In fact, Astan considers the more power he has not too excessive, only less powerful than his current rank. It should still be reasonable.

Was it because he often defeated Hard Level enemies alone without a Squad in the Iron Rank considered unorthodox, whereas Bronze Rank hunters alone still needed to defeat enemies of that level with a complete Squad?

Astan thinks it's all bad luck. There is no harm in having such luck. After six months of being a hunter, Astan rarely took missions. Astan could not be considered too strong because he himself could not defeat Danger-level enemies even though he joined a complete Squad containing Bronze and Silver Rank hunters.

“They are overdoing it...,” murmured Astan, started eating his bread.

A question was asked in Astan's mind. About the power that was not ranked, Astan felt like it was too ordinary to fight against monsters. When he first went on his first mission as a hunter, he felt no fear or difficulty at all. It feels easy, like walking using both feet on a smooth road.

And also about the nightmares. Although rarely experienced, but the dream seemed to try to attract his attention, giving a message that Astan himself did not understand what the message was.

Two things that became the question.

Like a memory summary, though,

He himself never felt he had it.

For a moment Astan pensively stared at the bite marks on his sandwich, contemplating all the unanswered confusion.

“I... feel like I've experienced something. But... what...?”

“Astan Bang!”

His musings broke when he found the figure of a young girl in a green jacket standing at the cafeteria door while waving her hand.

The sad face is now turning flat. Either Astan needs to be grateful because his gloomy feelings disappear because of the presence of the girl, or vice versa.

Irritated.

...~*~*~*~...