Ultima Ratio

Chapter 52: Sergeant Samuel Young

Samuel Young was born in Washington, DC, United States, in 2179.

Ever since he realized that all people eventually had to work for a living, Sam knew what he wanted to become: a pastry chef.

Neither of his parents were good in the kitchen, and their true talents were mainly in their careers: his mom was a rising politician, and his ma worked for the Central Intelligence Agency in a position that she repeatedly teased was above Sam's nonexistent pay grade. Still, they would occasionally bring back delicious sweets for the three of them to share over late-night gossip. His ma favored a bakery that was three blocks away from her office; his mom would always bring back regional treats from her near-weekly travels.

As soon as the smell of sugar would waft through their apartment, Sam would be the first to get the necessary supplies: three forks, three cups of milk (soy for his ma), and the Dessert Platter—a large ceramic plate with a fine art painting of a golden retriever dressed in a business suit and glasses. It wouldn't be long before the three of them were huddled around the dish with a single pastry centered on the dog's head, and they would take turns to see who could reveal its nose first, rotating the plate after each bite.

Sometimes, his parents would be too busy to make their sugary stops, and Sam started taking matters into his own hands when he was seven years old. At the time, the only recipes he could make were those that didn't require stoves, ovens, or sharp objects, limiting his options to instant pudding parfaits and ice cream sandwiches. Regardless, he enjoyed making his creations, assembling them as if he was on his own cooking show, then watching his parents' faces light up when they tried them.

His passion only grew when he was ten years old and his mom became the vice president of the United States. Not only did their family move from their quaint apartment to the vast Number One Observatory Circle—complete with a spacious and fully stocked kitchen—but Sam was privy to frequent visits to the White House as well. There, he met the famed White House chef Raymond Dunn, along with his young daughter Akira.

Even though Akira was three years Sam's junior, she had a fiery spirit right off the bat. When Sam was allowed to work in a small corner of the White House kitchen, Akira's watchful eyes would follow him, calling him out when he wasn't whisking fast enough, or pointing out that his blondies were burning in the oven and had already transformed into brownies. Still, when Sam was even moderately successful, Akira was one of his biggest supporters, though her praise would always have her stubborn catchphrase tacked onto the end: "My dad could make it better."

"Of course he could make it better," Sam snapped one day, throwing down the thin, child-sized chef hat Uncle Ray had gifted him with. "He's been doing this for...I don't know, hundreds of years! And he probably went to a fancy cooking school too. I don't even know if I can pass the sixth grade!"

Akira's initial reaction was expected, but not at all desired. For a few seconds, she stared at him quietly, not contradicting any of his claims, before popping the rest of the deformed mini lemon tart in her mouth and walking towards him. It was a minor consolation that she didn't cringe at the slightly sour and lumpy filling, but Sam was too annoyed with himself to accept the win. Instead, he only frowned as Akira picked up the crumpled chef hat, dusted it off with her crumb-covered hands, and held it out to him.

"You're right," she said, continuing to hold out the hat when Sam refused to take it. "He's old, and he's been doing this since the White House was built. You'll always be younger than him, but you can still try to catch up with skill." She shrugged. "Even though everyone knows you suck at school."

Sam narrowed his eyes. "How do you know that?"

Akira raised her chin proudly, and the edges of her crumb-speckled lips curled upwards. "I heard your mom asking my mom for tips. Unlike some people, I study."