C 5. Breakfast

After all the platforms settle in front of everyone, the hall becomes silent before it descends into clacking of spoons and hush noises.

My four sitting mates looked at me strangely. On their plate has different dishes: Irish, meat, cooked yam etc. The amount of food might satisfy up to ten people.

Amina said, "Why so little?" While I was unwrapping the Tuwo, I looked up, and said, "Why so much?" 

I doubt if they can finish the whole food. 

Ignoring their gaze I scooped the tuwo with a spoon, dipped it in the Kuka, and I sent it in my mouth… I froze then I immediately vomited it back to the plate. It tested completely different from my traditional food. The soup is sweet instead of salty with pepper. And the Tuwo, supposed to be made out of rice or maize, but this is made up of something different… I can't even tell what it is. 

I did hear suppressed laughter and giggling, not just from my table, Amina and the rest, but even from the neighbouring tables. But I ignored them.

Looking at the bottle, it contains juice. Tssk, "I was expecting this place to be perfect, but it turns out, it was just putting up a great front." 

"You have no idea, I ask for different traditional food from my home too, but they made only one correctly," Mharoni said, mixing two different portions of stew. I watched her in silence, Amina also did not touch her omelette, toasted bread and fried Irish potatoes. She is waiting for whatever mix Mharoni is doing.

"What about water? How can I get fresh water?" I asked… Abe looked at me and pointed at a tap on a raised sink close to the double doors. I was about to stand, when I heard Mharoni say, "Don't go, tap the table with the rhythm of your number. The screen will return, use it to order another food." 

"I lost my appetite." 

"It doesn't matter. Did you know that you are a lab rat?" I lean back while I nod, "So, you should know, we eat what they give us. Before they released us to this cafeteria, we ate what they provided. Here is also the same. The difference is, here they provide several options which correspond to what they want us to eat." 

She stood and pulled my soup close to her and tested it, though she did not spit it as I did. She pushed it back to me saying, "You should order something sweet… something with a lot of sugar in it. Maybe that's what they want you to eat this morning."

I just stared at her wondering what she meant. "They control our food type, get over it," Abe said, his mouth filled with food. Ignoring him, I tapped the table three times in quick succession and waited one second. I tapped five times also in quick succession... 

That is how I tapped the number written on my clothes which is 3519. The screen returns and this time I tapped on the random order from the options. The menu shuffled for two seconds before a normal-looking breakfast was selected: tea with milk, omelette and lots of bread. I did not like it but I ordered anyway.

The platform that is carrying tuwo flew away. I saw where they came from. One of the ceiling rectangular tiles caved in and slid to the side. Then the platform flew inside. A few minutes later the same tile caved and slid away, the platform returned with the order. The baked bread was sprinkled with coconut, and inside the bread, honey was smeared between layer slices of the bread: making it too sweet. 

The tea also is too sweet. And based on the flavour, they used honey instead of sugar in it. I grab the cup and sip the tea, but I put it back immediately. I actually want something salty, not sugary.

I lost my appetite and the hunger dissipated, so I just stared at people eating. "You should eat something." A familiar beautiful voice said. She has been quiet ever since the food was here. She was the one I watched the most as she ate. Her food is ample but she ate it all. I have no idea where that food went.

"Frequent use of ability increased one appetite. The doctors said, our abilities are fuelled by the nutrients in the body. That is why we may eat a lot, but there may not be a difference in body growth." Mharoni pushed a soup to me, "Eat this, there is no sugar."

I looked at her for a moment before using the untouched spoon that came along with my teacup and scooped the soup. 

Kass!

As if it will pass, but a glass materialized preventing the spoon from passing. I looked at her puzzled. She smiled and dragged the soup back and said, "I know you understand what this means, right?"

"They want me to eat sugary food. And even if I try to eat something else, the doctors will prevent me!"

"Not the doctors, but the Artificial Intelligent that governs this facility." I looked at the surroundings before setting my eyes on her. Mharoni knows a lot of this stuff because of her special ability. Better listen to her advice because she may know more than some of the older guys that are here before her.

"A very useful spy ability," I said with the intent to annoy Abe. He dropped his spoon and looked at me. "Most people are cowards, and when they are bullied they play innocent. But, when they meet with someone simple and see an opportunity they will try to throw their frustration at any moment they see a door to that person."

He got worked up for my little joke. "I'm sorry I did not realize you will get upset about it," I said to him before I continued to say, "do you get therapy with your anger issue?"

"I do not have anger issues. It's just you annoying me." "How am I annoying you? I only said my thoughts, and you get riled up."

He sat properly and looked at me, "Mharoni is my friend, and if you consider her ability is for spying you are like putting a question mark on her moral character. And people that may think that way, will misunderstand her."

"She did spy on me. Is it wrong for me to point it out? And I did not say it in a bad way, only in a curious manner, but you jump in to change the term without giving me the correct name of the ability. On top of that, you accuse me of disrespecting."

"At least you know she meant no ill. And when I told you calling someone a spy is not good! Can't you understand and stop calling it that way?"

"I can, but I won't! Not unless I know its name." I looked at Mharoni, "I mean no offence. This is between us." Gesturing myself and Abe. 

"Wow!" he clapped, "so a coward can stand for himself. But if you know better you will not choose me as your point of … hmm, never mind," he said after removing his glasses and wiped his eyes with clean soft cotton.

"Hmm, at least I have standing. I do not laugh or mock a bullied person nor did I try to offer a fake help to laugh at their face." My words are a bit harsh. I did know back then, maybe he was genuinely trying to console me, but I just need to twist it, so he should stop calling me a coward.

He was about to put his glasses on but stopped, and he looked at me and I stared back. He put the glass on and sighed. "You think I was going to laugh at your face! You must have a twisted view of the world! Listen, newbie…"

"You never get this worked up, Abe. Man of logic like you should not pursue these meaningless arguments!" A hand tapped on Abe's shoulder. The man is the one I was pointed at when Mharoni was introducing herself and the others. 

"Big Brother Rooney, can you take me away from Mharoni," Amina said. She looked innocent as if someone was seeking refuge. "Okay." 

Rooney looked at Mharoni before looking at me. He walked to me smiling, raising his hand for a handshake. "Hello, I'm Rooney Zhen."

Argh, not a fan of handshakes because I have a terrible experience with them. I stood and bowed saying, "Though you sound American your name Zhen is Chinese. Chinese people value respect." I just ramble about what comes to my mind so that I will not sound rude for refusing to shake hands with anyone among them.

It was awkward, his hand hanging in a handshake gesture while I bowed a little and sat back. This time I was forcefully eating my breakfast to just escape the stand-up. 

"Haha." Amina giggled and laughed, and before I knew it she was on the table close to me stepping on the platform and even kicking some plates and cups. She grabs my cheek pulling. "You don't like to be touched? I touch you…!" She said taunting me before she hurriedly returned to her seat… I only smiled at her. 

Mharoni and Abe were holding their last bit of breakfast with their hands to avoid them being kicked by Amina. "Is it true? Why is it that you don't like people touching you?" Mharoni questions me