“Another foolish snack incident?” Detective Zhang sighed, studying the holographic crime scene aboard Space Station Omega. A body lay sprawled near the station’s vending machine, surrounded by scattered bags of chips.

“Third one this month, Detective,” Officer Chen replied, adjusting her anti-gravity boots. “Dr. Marcus Thompson, lead quantum physicist. Found dead at 0300 hours.”

Detective Zhang knelt beside the body, his trained eyes noting the unusual position of the victim’s hands - clutching an opened bag of “Stellar Crunch” chips. “Interesting choice for a midnight snack.”

“Something wrong with the snacks, Detective?” Lieutenant Wei asked, floating nearby.

“Everything about these snacks is wrong,” Zhang replied, standing carefully. “Tell me, Lieutenant, why would our brilliant physicist choose this particular vending machine when there’s one right outside his lab?”

The small gathering of officers exchanged glances. Dr. Sarah Chen, the station’s resident forensic expert, cleared her throat. “Actually, that’s not the strangest part. Preliminary scans show quantum particles in his digestive system - completely foreign to any known snack composition.”

Zhang’s eyes lit up. “Gather everyone in the observation deck. I believe I know what happened to our dear physicist.”

An hour later, the station’s key personnel assembled beneath the stunning view of Earth. Among them sat Dr. Elena Rodriguez, head of Research; Security Chief Jackson; and Dr. Thompson’s assistant, James Miller.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Zhang began, pacing deliberately, “we’re not dealing with a simple case of late-night snacking gone wrong. We’re looking at an elegant murder disguised as a foolish accident.”

He held up the chip bag. “This isn’t just any snack - it’s a quantum-engineered weapon. Our victim wasn’t being stupid; he was being curious. Isn’t that right, Dr. Rodriguez?”

Elena’s face paled. “I… I don’t understand.”

“Oh, but you do. Dr. Thompson discovered your illegal quantum experiments - using the vending machine as a cover for transporting altered matter. When he confronted you, you couldn’t risk exposure.”

“That’s preposterous!” Elena stood up, trembling. “Where’s your proof?”

Zhang smiled, pulling out a small device. “This quantum scanner shows identical particle signatures between your lab and the chips. You modified the snacks to disintegrate organic matter upon consumption. Quite brilliant, actually - except for one small detail.”

“The wrapper,” Officer Chen whispered, realization dawning.

“Exactly. Real chip bags don’t contain quantum stabilizers in their material. You needed them to contain your weaponized snacks.”

Elena collapsed into her chair, tears streaming down her face. “He was going to ruin everything. Years of research, countless breakthroughs…”

As security led Dr. Rodriguez away, Lieutenant Wei approached Zhang. “Brilliant deduction, Detective. But something still bothers me - why did Thompson eat the chips if he knew about her experiments?”

“Ah,” Zhang smiled, “he didn’t. The opened bag was staged. Notice the lack of residue on his fingers? Elena wanted us to believe he died from foolishly consuming contaminated snacks. Instead, she forced them down his throat.”

The case of the quantum snacks was solved, leading to stricter vending machine regulations aboard Space Station Omega. Dr. Thompson’s research was preserved and continued under ethical supervision, while his breakthrough discoveries in quantum physics were properly credited posthumously.

As Detective Zhang filed his report, he couldn’t help but smile at the irony - how something as mundane as a snack could unravel a complex quantum murder mystery. Sometimes, he mused, the most brilliant crimes are solved by the simplest details.