Hotcakes at the end times

"Kelley's great-grandmama used to say there ain't nothing a stack of hotcakes can't fix. Slathered in butter and dripping with syrup, hotcakes are a hug for the human soul, a comfort so simple that it makes everything else simple, too. Kelley found this adage proved true on more than one occasion during his tenure living aboard inter-planetary transport. He had been among the first to live full-time on the vast civilian ships, the first to create an on-board breakfast diner, the first to turn a sterile, lifeless barge into a thriving community that folks could call home. And all them firsts came over the top of a fluffy stack of hotcakes."

"So, when the emergency alarms blared just as Kelley was opening up the diner for the day, he hesitated only a moment before firing up the griddle. The all-ship loudspeaker crackled to life as Kelley tossed an apron over his shoulders and began rummaging in the cupboards. Main drive disabled. Concerning, but that's what the back-up drives were for, Kelley reasoned. But maybe he should ... Kelley dispelled that thought before it could form, shaking his head and grabbing the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Best not to do nothing before breakfast anyhow. Caught in a gravity well. Whelp, that explained the slight, swaying pull beneath his feet. Unfortunate, Kelley thought, whisking the batter hard, destroying any hidden lumps in record time. He slapped a pad of butter on the griddle, testing its heat. It bubbled and melted and was gone. Perfect."

Kelley lives aboard a civilian inter-planetary transport and runs an onboard breakfast diner. He believes hotcakes provide comfort and community. He transformed a sterile barge into a home for residents through food. When emergency alarms sound and the ship's main drive fails, he pauses only long enough to start breakfast. He prepares batter and tests the griddle while passengers stream through corridors and the loudspeaker reports limited escape pods and a gravity well. He suppresses doubts about escape and focuses on cooking. He calls out that food will be ready and continues feeding people amid the unfolding crisis.

Read at Nature