[Broadcast: The Flavor Network – Galactic Emergency Crossover Special]
ANNOUNCER DROID:
"Breaking news! Flavor Debt crisis reaches record high! Spices collapsing! Viewership plummeting! …Also, Ninang Rye is back."
Cue cosmic trumpet intro music.
The broadcast cuts to Ninang Rye's massive orbital kitchen—part fortress, part talk show, all ego.
She's in a golden apron, sunglasses reflecting exploding stars.
NINANG RYE:
"Mga anak ng toyo, your ratings are dry. Time to stir the pot."
1. THE GRAND REUNION SPECIAL
Arin, Lira, Manny, and Ewan get teleported mid-lunch straight into Ninang's cooking colosseum.
Ewan's still holding a fork. Manny's still mid-bite. Arin's mid-complaint.
ARIN:
"Wait, what is this? I didn't agree to—"
NINANG RYE:
"Silence! You're live on Gossip Gravy Hour! Sponsored by Soylent Soy!"
Every camera in the galaxy swings toward Arin's confused face.
Billions of aliens are watching.
LIRA (sighing):
"I hate crossover episodes."
ARIN:
"I love attention."
NINANG RYE:
"Perfect. One of you will save the galaxy. The other will trend on SpaceTok for crying."
2. THE GOSSIP ECONOMY
Ninang reveals the new rule: flavor = gossip.
Every rumor adds spice. Every exposed secret increases viewership.
The team's Flavor Debt can only be erased if they confess something juicy on live broadcast.
ARIN:
"Wait, so we're paying with… tsismis?"
NINANG RYE:
"Correct. The Federation runs on drama, iho. Same as your carinderia back home."
Ewan immediately panics.
"I once ate an entire galaxy's dessert buffet by accident!"
SYSTEM: Flavor Debt reduced by 0.01%.
Manny punches a wall.
"I once cried over tofu."
SYSTEM: Flavor Debt reduced by 0.02%.
Lira frowns. "This is stupid."
SYSTEM: Flavor Debt increased by 0.1%.
3. THE CONFESSION STATION
Every secret manifests physically as Gossip Ghosts — shimmering chismis creatures whispering in Taglish.
The arena fills with them, swirling around like judgmental titas at a wedding.
Ninang begins stirring a cauldron the size of a moon.
Each secret fuels the Gravy of All Gossip, glowing pink and gold.
NINANG RYE:
"This gravy can rewrite taste itself. But too much truth? Poof! Whole network implodes."
ARIN:
"Wait, that's… bad, right?"
NINANG RYE:
"For ratings? Perfect."
4. ESCALATION INTO MADNESS
The episode fragments into chaos:
Random alien commercials interrupt the story ("Buy Quantum Vinegar now!").
Arin is briefly replaced by a claymation version of himself for three frames.
A cooking channel from another universe tunes in and starts narrating their narration.
Lira argues with the camera operator, who turns out to be her alternate self from Episode 3.
Every time the broadcast glitches, more flavor energy leaks from the network — the Galactic Taste Infrastructure starts overloading.
LIRA:
"Arin, the broadcast power is feeding off our memories!"
ARIN:
"Then let's make it worth watching!"
He jumps onto the central counter, knife raised high.
"I challenge you, Ninang Rye — final cook-off!
If I win, the Flavor Debt resets!
If I lose… at least we go viral."
Ninang smirks. "Ayos. Let's end this with tsismis."
5. COOKING SHOWDOWN OF COSMIC RUMORS
ROUND: Gossip Kare-Kare vs. Redemption Adobo
Ninang cooks with pure gossip energy — every stir releases a new revelation about Arin's past.
"He cheated in Culinary Math!"
"He once cried over burnt sinigang!"
"He still uses sachet vinegar!"
Arin's dish starts destabilizing — each rumor makes the sauce curdle.
He grips the Quantum Knife.
"Fine! You want truth? Here's one!"
He slams a bottle of Five-Star Vinegar Drop into the pan.
"I'm not cooking to repay debt! I'm cooking so my mom's carinderia doesn't die!"
The dish flares — light floods the arena.
Ninang's pot boils over. Her gossip ghosts start short-circuiting.
NINANG RYE (grinning):
"Good, iho. You finally said something real."
6. CLIFFHANGER: THE GALACTIC FLAVOR CRASH
The broadcast feed explodes across galaxies.
Every channel, every kitchen, every viewer experiences a taste overload.
Flavor waves spiral out like cosmic tsunamis.
Screens everywhere flicker with one message:
"⚠ SYSTEM ERROR — FLAVOR NETWORK OVERDRAWN."
"Taste Stability: 0.0001%."
The Federation announces emergency shutdown procedures.
Every broadcast begins collapsing into static.
Ninang Rye laughs through the distortion.
"Ay naku, iho… you cooked too well. You broke the recipe."
The screen shatters.
Sound cuts out.
END CARD:
TO BE CONTINUED → CHAPTER 6.5 — "THE CHEAPEST FEAST IN THE GALAXY"