Apocalyptic Fantasy Kitchen

Chapter Four: Something's Not Quite Right

“I don’t want my parts to get corroded,” Awu muttered, leaping into the air and transforming into a pillow. That was the only shape it knew how to take. Sometimes it wondered if that was the only reason Fang Qing had chosen it in the first place.

Otherwise, given Fang Qing’s personality, she should have chosen a basic functional robot. After all, she was just that lazy.

Fang Qing finished her meal, leaving not a single grain of rice behind. She stood up, patting her stomach with satisfaction. Ah, nothing felt better than a full belly. Now, all she needed was a good nap before they reached home.

“Awu,” she called out. “You packed away all the bedding. Where am I supposed to sleep?”

With a resigned sigh, Awu shifted back into its puppy form and dragged the bedding over, arranging a small, cozy nest for her.

Fang Qing slipped into her makeshift bed. “Ah…” She sighed in contentment. Finally, she was heading home. Once she got there, she could enjoy her kitchen to the fullest. How wonderful. Nothing beat the power of nature.

Awu glanced at the spaceship’s autopilot system. The ship was set to return home automatically, which meant there was nothing left to do. Not that it mattered—this old, clunky ship barely flew as it was. They didn’t realize it had already veered far off course and continued to drift even further away.

When Fang Qing woke up, she would tinker with her new kitchen or whip up a meal to indulge herself. Maybe she’d bicker with Awu a bit. Awu, being a robot, never got angry or flustered.

But for Fang Qing, those little interactions were everything. Otherwise, what would she do? Talk to herself? No matter how advanced the world became, no matter how incredible technology got, some things in human nature remained unchanged.

Humans were social creatures. No one could truly live alone.

“Are we getting close to Earth?” she asked, staring at the computer screen displaying a glowing blue planet.

“Yes,” Awu replied, sitting beside her. But something felt strange. What was it? It couldn’t quite pinpoint the anomaly, though its internal processors were running at full speed.

“So blue…” Fang Qing murmured, resting her chin on the table. “It’s really blue.”

“Blue?” Awu suddenly leapt up and dashed over to the computer screen. Something was definitely wrong. This wasn’t their Earth. Their Earth wasn’t this blue. Their oceans were gray, lifeless, and heavily polluted. But this planet’s oceans were a vivid, healthy blue.

“Fang Qing, this is bad…”

“Hm?” Fang Qing idly tapped the table with her fingers. “What’s bad?” She lifted her eyes lazily. “Don’t bother me, I’m waiting to go home.”

The computer had already initiated the re-entry sequence. Awu didn’t have time to explain. It scrambled to override the autopilot system, but it was futile. The ship’s course was locked, and they were now plunging rapidly into the planet’s atmosphere.

A loud crackling noise erupted, and the spaceship shuddered violently, as if it were about to break apart.

Even the perpetually relaxed Fang Qing was thrown to the floor with a thud. She rubbed her aching backside, unable to get up.

“No way! This piece-of-junk spaceship was supposed to last me ten years! No wonder it was so cheap. Second-hand stuff is never reliable.”

She was tossed around several more times, the jolts making her yelp. If Awu hadn’t transformed into a pillow at the last second, she’d be bruised and battered by now.