Whenever I switch to a new location, I usually like to include some sort of establishing shot so readers can get their bearings. I thought about doing an establishing shot of the Free Kespa station again for this sequence, but ultimately, I decided not to since (a) I was pretty short on space for this page and needed the real estate for the other panels, (b) the first panel of the yak head hitting the table made for a nice visual that would be more jarring than a shot of the space station, which is what I wanted for a transition, and (c) the red tint of Dhama Hes’s headquarters was distinctive enough that I figured readers would know where they were fairly immediately.
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So the story that began with our heroes trying to eat root beatles will end with them trying to eat yak heads? I like the symmetry.
At least the yak heads are pre-cooked. Just reheat and serve!
The Yak Heads seem far less edible. I would have been willing to try the beetles, frankly.
I love seeing clever tricks like the one Roka tried to pull… but I love it even more when the enemy turns it back against them. XD Hm… I wonder, is the head really harmed? What constitutes the “head”? Does lack of brain function count? Are the burns sufficient to be called “significant harm”? Not that it really matters…
Nope, I think we can be pretty sure “unharmed” meant “alive and intact”. Roka and crew have failed to meet the terms of their agreement, so no payment for them.
It sucks being a low-level smuggling crew in the Runnersverse. Or maybe it’s just Roka’s crew….?
I love the panels. Panel 1 is a great start and panel 2 is enough of an establishing shot for me to remember where they are now. Just glad he didn’t say “D’oh” at the end. 😉
Perhaps “Ack” is the “D’oh” of the Runners Universe.
I like really this scene and it also seems to brought us out of the grim atmosphere.
Although Sean still has room to throw another surprise at us…
Roka could have asked for 40 new yak and just put the tags on them. As Roka and crew would have had no idea they were carrying crush according to Hes’ plan, Hes would probably have assumed that Suul pulled something. As the Ulon Dosi pointed out, those yak are not exactly a rare commodity, they could have afforded to let a few crush-yak and 35 normal yak go.
Smart thinking!
But it wouldn’t have been funny. 😉
Not at first. But then when those root beetle burritos with extra pyre sauce they fed them hit? *Camera pans out to see Free Kespa Station explode death star style.*
The only thing more reactive than crush, the Ulon Bell Fifteen-alarm Root Beetle Burrito… It’s classified as a high-explosive in forty-seven systems.
— Ciceron Steamed Yak’s Head —
Cooking a yak’s head is not for the faint of heart and many a less adventurous gastronome may become weak at the knees at the mere thought. For those with enough gall to go the distance, you will find that cooking a yak’s head is quite simple, and is a part of many cultural celebrations on Ciceron.
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
1 – Place the cleaned yak’s head directly onto the flame of a stove. If you only have an electric stove, use a propane burner or flame thrower. Singe the head until all the hair is burnt off and the head is frighteningly blackened, turning it regularly with long barbecue tongs to achieve an even cover.
2 – Scrub all the blackened hair off the head using a stiff-bristled brush, but not a wire brush as that would destroy it, while running the head under cold water.
3 – Cut the head in half with a bone saw, plasma cutter, sword, or other utensil and remove the brains with an ice cream scooper, making sure to do so in the most animated way possible, and clean the inside cavity of the head well. Use the brains in other recipes or to throw at people you do not like, but keep the tongue in the head.
4 – Fill a large steamer or plasma exhaust manifold coupler with water to just below the steaming rack/adjustment grill. Add 2 tbsp. of salt to the water and bring it to the boil.
5 – Mix a 1 tbsp. of salt and 1 tbsp. of Ciceron friezl bulb powder together and rub it all over the two halves of the yak’s head, making sure to do this as erotically as possible to make on-lookers unsettled. Place the head pieces on the steaming rack/adjustment grill.
6 – Put 2 roughly chopped medium-sized snowtubers into the water of the steamer, as well as a small bouquet of redancior and yelspar. Place the steaming rack/adjustment grill into the steamer or plasma exhaust manifold coupler and close the lid/breach release panel. Steam for 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is falling from the bones.
7 – Serve on a large platter with two side plates with 1 tbsp. each of salt and Ciceron friezl bulb powder in them to dip the meat into, as well as fresh flat bread.
Hopefully you live in a different time zone, Exxos, and aren’t up at 3:18am thinking up how to scoop brains. Rather, instead I feel more comfortable with you thinking of such things maybe just after breakfast from some reason… or again, at least not in mine time zone. Nothing personal.
The time stamps are 3 hours ahead of my local time. I posted that at 12:18 AM… Which is somehow does not fully diffuse the unsettling aura of it much.
Say Exxos, do you happen to write books or comic scripts? Because you really should do something with that creativity.
Awesome recipe, Exxos! Now I really wish I had some yak head, although I hear friezl bulb powder is pretty hard to come by this time of year. Who knows, if I have room in the graphic novel collection, maybe I’ll have a bonus page of your yak head recipe, if you feel so inclined as to see it included. I think it’d be fun.
There might be a legal issue to bite us in the butt. It’s a rewrite of a nerf’s head recipe I did for an RPG and short story, which is in turn a rewrite of a unicorn’s head recipe (The entire unicorn tastes like bacon!) from an RPG before that, which in turn is based off a real sheep’s head recipe. I am not sure where fair use balances out with “How many people are reading Runners AND know sheep’s head recipes from the 1980’s to cause a fuss.” But with a touch more rewrite to take it further away from word-for-word in places, it would probably be okay.
Ah, thanks for the heads-up on the re-write situation and letting me know that’s it’s based on other work. That could have been bad!