Might have been for the best. You got to miss the fun of eating mysterious goo and dealing with a secretive robot society for several weeks.

[Maes sets his plate aside and goes to make himself a cup of water. He's going to need it if he is planning to power through this curry. He fills a cup, deciding he'll handle coffee drinking after the curry.

This dish might not be very solid, but I'll take the flavor over whatever that other stuff was.

[Returning to his seat, he looks over at the other man again.]

Obvious weirdness aside, I'm guessing you've been given the usually briefing on this place?