Phenom

Chapter Two

Huge.

If Andromeda had been asked to use a single word to describe the Rune Mansion's dining hall and kitchens, that would have been it. Everything was lush, expansive, and saturated in wealth. The dining hall itself would have been big enough to support at least forty people all along the enormous table, but even when only the three Runes and Andromeda were seated there, it never seemed undercrowded, awkward, or lonely. Three enormous diamondite chandeliers hung from the arched ceiling, forming a straight line above the table and giving the place a sense of majesty. The floor was carpeted in a rush of scarlet red. The longer Andromeda spent there, the longer she felt she ought to remain there, basking in the glow of luxury.

Tonight, Andromeda and Decimus sat side by side in the center of the of the table; Goddard and Lucinda Rune sat opposite them, on the left.

Andromeda had eaten dinner with the Runes several times before, and was much less nervous tonight than over the course of her first few times. The two most powerful Engineers on Terra, it turned out, were much less intimidating once you got to know them. Then again, wasn't everybody?

Presently, Goddard Rune occupied himself by making small talk with Decimus and Andromeda as they waited for their cinnamon flavored food--whatever it was--to arrive. Lucinda had brought with her a pile of paperwork and a pen, and was scribbling things down frantically as the others spoke. This was unusual for two reasons: One, because Lucinda had never worked on something at the dinner table before, and two, because almost all writing was now done on holographic controlscreens; paper was a nearly extinct rarity.

"Are you both ready for the trip tomorrow morning?" Goddard asked the children in a natural, even tone, as though going to an Engineering facility weren't the most important, and perhaps nerve-wracking, part of their lives.

Andromeda and Decimus both responded in the affirmative.

"I wonder what team I'll be on," Decimus said casually, the demanding looks he gave his parents a stark contrast from his tone of voice.

"Decimus," said Lucinda softly. It was the first word she'd spoken that evening. "You and Andromeda will wait and see, just like everybody else."

Decimus's responsive sigh was followed by a short silence.

Andromeda glanced from Goddard to Lucinda and back again. Goddard was tall, tan skinned, and muscular, with dark brown hair he kept slick against his head with some sort of oil. Lucinda was taller, with a much lighter complexion. She arranged her hair in such a variety of ways and dyed it so often that it was impossible to tell its natural color; tonight, it was a deep purple, bordering on black.

They sat, strangely rigid, in their black Engineering uniforms and spaceboots, not saying a word. Andromeda frowned slightly; this was not their normal behavior. Usually, Goddard would be telling everyone about the day's work, or how excited he was that his son was finally getting to go off and be an Engineer, or how many planets had been designed at Rune the past year, and how they had or hadn't met their quota. Lucinda was a fantastic entertainer, and often went on about her own experiences in Aerospace when she was a child, about how she and Goddard had become friends and designed the planet Earth in their spare time, about how this had changed the Engineering world entirely. When you had experienced as much as they had, there was never a shortage of things to talk about.

Tonight, something was... off.

After a few more seconds of unbearable silence, Andromeda said, "Excuse me, but... is anything the matter?"

Lucinda looked up from her papers, directly into Andromeda's eyes. Andromeda controlled the urge to flinch. When Lucinda addressed anyone, acknowledged them even, it was in a direct, unrelenting manner. She had deep, intelligent brown eyes, and a mind to match.

"Well, if you must ask, Andromeda," said Lucinda, setting her pen down and clicking the left-handed setting off, "There have been a few troublesome occurrences of late."

Lucinda was using her formality voice. This was a very bad sign.

She had the three other Engineers' full attention now. She looked each one in the eye and said, "I believe we have a problem. A very difficult problem. It has to do with the planet Earth."

"What!" said Andromeda and Decimus in perfect unison. Goddard looked at his wife grimly; he obviously already knew about whatever it was.

Lucinda had now riveted her own gaze on Andromeda's, and Andromeda couldn't look away. Lucinda Rune was the most amazingly persuasive person Andromeda had ever met; no argument, normal or bizarre, big or small, eluded Lucinda's winning grasp. Even when she wasn't persuading, Lucinda spoke in a calm, commanding voice that seemed to hypnotise her listeners.

"Well, you see..." said Lucinda, drumming her perfectly manicured fingernails against her paperwork. Somehow, even her uncertainty felt authoritative and humbling. "There are issues, and then there are issues. This is an issue."

Andromeda was so enraptured in the theatrical tone of Lucinda's voice that it took her a moment to realize that she had no idea what the Engineer was actually talking about. Decimus nodded, as though he understood. Goddard looked around, muttering something about "robotic servitude timing malfunction" that was lost to Lucinda's gaze.

"As you know, the planet Earth is our main business at the Rune Institute. This great social experiment is what fuels the Engineers' enthusiasm, and what fills up our bank accounts."

"Don't forget hyperjet Infinity Blaze, my darling," said Goddard, giving the word "darling" a sharp edge.

Lucina frowned at the interruption. "Yes..." she said vaguely. "And hyperjet Infinity Blaze."

Lucina worked in Astrophysics; Goddard, in Aerospace. Their faction rivalry had never entirely dissipated, even after they got married and began the Institute.

(Chapter to be continued soon. Please comment, and vote if you enjoyed. Additionally, if you would like for me to read your work, post a link along with your comment. Thanks for reading. :) )