My entire childhood was not lost to me, though most was erased from Vitoc use, Amarr brainwashing and age.

The Scope News was reporting on a recent outbreak of flu amidst the general population of Pator. It was borderline pandemic, a strain never before seen in the history of our people.

Most disease had been eradicated in New Eden, yet somehow the flu remained ever elusive to all forms of treatment, mutating, adapting, surviving despite all efforts.

The Capsuleer process left pod pilots immune to disease, but being insanely cost prohibitive left 99% of New Eden’s people susceptible to infection.

There were always cutting edge miracle cures which the pharmas profited from; some things never changed.

Some of my crew had contracted the flu recently, taking sick leave. A childhood memory flooded my mind. It was of my Mammar, and I was weak with illness. She cared for me, making sure the duvet on my bed was nice and snug, and she fed me the most amazing chicken soup ever created.

It could be my boyhood perception that made the soup stick out in my mind; as I was cured the next day. Maybe it was psychological, and the love my Mammar gave to me was the real cure; I honestly don’t know.

I froze the moment in my mind, analyzing the memory fragment from all angles, focusing on the ingredients, the portions contained within the magic elixir.

After several attempts, I managed to re-create it, and shipped containers of it to my sick crew. Maybe it would work for them also. Besides, I needed them healthy to do their jobs.

Mammar’s Chicken Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ( 2 – 3 pound) whole chicken
• 3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
• 1 pound baby carrots
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cubes beef bouillon, crumbled
• 1 packet chicken noodle soup mix
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 pinch dried thyme
• 1 pinch poultry seasoning
• 1 pinch dried basil
• 5 black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pinch dried parsley
• 1 (8 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta

METHOD:

1. Place chicken in a large pot and cover with water. Place celery leaves in pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes.
2. Remove chicken from pot and place in a bowl until cool enough to handle.
3. Meanwhile, strain the cooking liquid, discard the celery tops and place the cooking liquid in a large pot.
4. Place celery, carrots, onion, bouillon, soup mix and chicken broth in the pot and let simmer.
5. Season with thyme, poultry seasoning, basil, peppercorns, bay leaves and parsley.
6. Bone chicken and cut up meat into bite-size pieces.
7. Return meat to pot.
8. Cook until vegetables are tender and flavours are well blended, up to 90 minutes.
9. Stir pasta into pot and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, until noodles are al dente.
10. Serve hot.

For what ails you, my friends. Be well.