F is for Food

from Rebekah Loper’s book called The A-Zs of Worldbuilding: Building a Fictional World From Scratch

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The children are, of course, fed in their communities, but once they reach their teen years, they are required to prepare their own food. Starting at age 12, children are taught to cook under strict supervision. At 16, they are given their own communities and a mentor to help them learn to cook. By 18, the mentors have fazed out. Each floor in the building has its own shared kitchen, dining room, and living room, but each person has their own room. These floors are made up of 12 people ages 18-22.

At 22, choices will be made for living arrangements, where people may live with up to three other people. In that case, they will have their own kitchen, but those who choose to live alone have a shared kitchen for food preparation.

Since everything must be grown inside, fresh fruits and vegetables are provided on a rotating basis. So, strawberries are still available, for example, but not all year around. But, of course, there are some staples. Potatoes are always available. Sugar, flour, plant-based meat of various types are always available. Spices are always available, too, since they are dried. Vegetables masquerading as meat is common. They are grown on a rotating basis, but in large enough quantities that they can be available all the time. The food is delivered weekly to each kitchen.

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Above you see my description that I wrote based on the extensive questions in The A-Zs of Worldbuilding. Below, you can read an excerpt from Chapter 27 from my novel Exploration.

Remember this (and most) of my posts contain adult content!

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“No really, Marchand, what is this place?”

“It’s supposed to be like the dance and sex clubs before the nuclear winter.”

I nodded. Yes, that was what it looked like. Or, what I imagine those places looked like. “How did it form?”

“I don’t know, but no one talks about it. You have to know someone to get in.”

“Yeah, about that,” I said. “I just signed a document that says I won’t tell anyone about this place, but you told me.”

“Once you’ve been here a while, they let you bring friends.”

“Do you come here often?” I asked.

He shrugged, “When I can. I like it. It’s relaxing.”

“Do you dance?”

“Usually,” he said.

I had never danced before. Not in front of people. Music was sometimes a thing, but dancing really wasn’t.

A woman wearing lingerie and carrying a tray approached us. “What can I get you?” she asked.

I looked at Marchand, speechless.

He held up two fingers. “Punch,” he said.

“Sure thing,” she said and walked away.

“What was that?” I hissed.

“A waitress.”

“A what?”

“Waitress. A woman who brings us food and drinks.” I just blinked at him. I had never heard those words before. “Back before, there were restaurants where people made food to order. They would pay money and be given food from waiters and waitresses.”

“Who wants to do those jobs?”

He chuckled, “Apparently some people, since they’re here.”

The woman came back with two drinks. She set them down in front of them on the table and then asked if they wanted anything else. “Maybe in a bit,” Marchand replied. “I have a virgin here,” he winked at her.

“Ah yes,” she said with a smile.

Virgin! I was no virgin!

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Wait, is Mara a virgin?

Why aren’t there wait staff?

Where the heck are they!?

Find out all that and in Exploration or come back tomorrow to learn more!