Not All Heroes Wear Capes

6: Divination

Before Cecelia takes this next interview, she stops to take a break for lunch. Her stomach had started to growl at her as soon as she watched Hunter leave the room. Breakfast should have held her over until one more interview, but the body wants what the body wants. Hers apparently wants a burger with a large order of fries and a shake.

As she makes her way to the spacious cafeteria she toured through earlier, Cecelia passes a string of labs with people working away within. Not watching where she's going—she slips on something slippery and lands hard on her butt.

"Ouch! What the...?"

Before she can finish her question, an odd shadow looms over her. Dangling in front of her is a piece of lettuce. A rigid shell taps her back, making her shrink in fright. She's dreaming. Has to be. There's no way what she sees is really there. She's just extremely hungry. Yeah, that's got to be it.

"Are you hurt?"

"Oh, my-y god. It t-talks?!"

"Well, yeah. I'm sorry you fell. Must've found a spot of sour cream I missed earlier. I've been dripping all day."

"Uhh...um...what?"

He begins to say more when a man in a lab coat comes running out of the nearest room.

"Tito, what did we talk about? Not everyone knows about the incident. You've gotta stay inside the lab."

"But she fell!"

"I'm fine. I swear. Will probably bruise, but I'll be okay. Thank you."

In a rush to forget this whole mess—Cecelia picks herself up from the floor with a shaky smile. The full sight of the enormous taco has her stumbling forward, eager to put as much distance between her and it as possible. Tacos will definitely not be on the menu for her anytime soon.

Later, she has her food in front of her, seated back at the table in the conference room. She has just finished her last bite when an assistant she's never seen before walks in. The woman informs her that another individual is here and ready to be questioned.

"Send them in, please."

A large burp bubbles to the surface, but thankfully, she stifles it as the lady enters the room. Clearing her throat, she greets someone known as Luci.

"Hello, Miss. How are you doing today?"

"I'd be doing better if I didn't have to come here, honestly."

"Oh..."

"You're not from the government, are you? Can't stand those wankers."

Cecelia silently tests out the word she just heard, eventually shaking her head at Luci.

"No, I'm just a reporter from Chicago."

"Well, let's get started then, huh? Time's a-wastin'..."

She straightens in her seat, then presses record on her phone. This one isn't messing around.

LUCI'S POV

The world had always sung to the soul of humanity in the language we all knew, the one installed in our programming from birth... our creators. My parents would always say they would speak to only those who had full access to their souls. There was so much life out there waiting to greet the world, to welcome us to the intergalactic family, if only we would reconnect to the soul-ether that links all, that crosses time and space in the smallest fraction of a moment.