Challenge #02109-E286: Meat-ing Place
The Galactic community knows that the human race is omnivorous and that they sometimes prefer meat when stranded or when supplies are low, willingly giving up one dietary options to any remaining crew in order to save them. It was a smart evolutionary path that many alien scholars believed was essential for surviving such a deadly world like Terra.
But no one could have foreseen how much the human race could love meat. Covet it. And fight for it so strongly that they would mentally de-evolve back to their pre-awakened state.
That was until they discovered BBQ season. -- Amberfox
BBQ: Abbrev. for Barbecue (n). A Human activity in which Humans go outdoors or to the nearest alternative to outdoors in order to cook meat on an open fire, or an exposed grill. -- The Galactic Alliance's Guide to Human Activities.
Humans had just been welcomed into the Galactic Alliance and with them came a spike in complaints about the parks. They all homogenised into the phrase, There is nowhere to barbecue.
Sherlock, curious about the complaint, found one of the Humans in the outer reaches of the station and asked, "Can you tell me about this 'barbecue' thing you and your people are demanding?"
The Human explained it as 'great fun' and a 'good family get-together' and, though there were plenty of places to eat, there was nowhere to 'cook out'.
"Cook... out..." Sherlock repeated. "As in... cooking... outdoors?"
"Yeah! Yeah, now you're getting it. There's nothing like a fresh steak straight off the hotplate."
"We're in a sealed environment, smoke emissions require a permit and an ecological survey before they can be allowed. Besides, there's nowhere 'outdoors' besides hard vacuum."
They laughed. "Nah mate. You got some bloody huge parks. They're the next best thing. Tell the truth, I was a bit miffed when I went there and there was nowhere to cook a few rissoles."
Sherlock left the question of what 'rissoles' were unasked[1] and said, "We have rental kitchens if you wish to cook. All the safety equipment is installed."
"It's not the same thing," they argued. This was one of Sherlock's early lessons in Humanity. They did things, illogical things, incomprehensible things, and the most frequent reason for doing it at all was, "It's more fun that way."
Impossible as it would seem, Humans liked to go out of their way, into the closest analogue to nature, and cook raw food they had brought with them so that it would be 'fresher', and then eat it in the same place, where any number of contaminants could get at it, and any number of wildlife species could attempt to steal it. This was, apparently, fun.
After some months wrangling with Atmospheres and Health, clearance was finally given to erect a single 'barbecue' station within Big Tree Park. It was booked out for a decade before the paint had dried on the warning signs.
On one side, there was motivation to make more like it... on the other hand... Humans would remain baffling until the end of time.
[1] Kind of like hamburger patties, but thicker, and with diced onion and the option for other added veggies inside.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / fanfo]
If you like my stories, please Check out my blog and Follow me. Or share them with your friends!
Send me a prompt [24 remaining prompts!]
I decided to try that recipe. A thick hamburger patty with diced onions and a few other veggies, including finely chopped mushrooms. It was YUMMY!