Serenity

They enjoy some quiet time before anything remotely hard-hitting happens. November 12, 2016.

The alarm rang around her room at 0430. Her fingers came alive, and after a brief moment of confusion, found the Stop button on her phone, and the ringing stopped. The lights on her room came on.

Forty minutes later, she emerged from her room. The hallway was eerily dark. The early morning lights didn't give much illumination, only the staircase lights did and that of the ground floor where it was mandated to be left on for security purposes.

The mansion was silent. The only hints of noise were from the breezes and the drones from an assortment of machines installed all around the walls.

A water cooler room was located on one side of the hall. This floor belongs to Luna and her co-workers. Three staffers man the place they call the Central Controller. Two with orange bands tied to their wrists, one with green. Glass walls surround a door that slid open upon her walking close to it. In the room was a giant cork board with various pieces of paper pinned to it. Stacks of binders surround a literal water cooler and formed a backdrop for the three computer chairs that seat the three servants. To one end is a wood counter filled with documents, pens, Swiss Army knives, and a few deck of cards strewn randomly over it. A portable table was folded up against the wall. The ticking of the clock was the only sound in the room.

"Morning, Luna." Barry found a computer chair among the stacks of disorganized papers.

She took the seat closer to the dispenser and poured one out for herself.

"Morning." Luna held the cup with both hands as she drank out of it. "Is today her training session?"

"Yes." James patted the green-band trainee on the back. "She will oversee breakfast operations."

"I'm hoping breakfast will start early.” Her assistant chimed in.

Luna stared at the clock. 0514. Breakfast won't start for at least another 46 minutes.

“Omelet?” Luna asked Barry as she wrangles some of it onto her plate.

“No thanks.”

The head butler shook some salt into it. Barry tapped her on the shoulder.

“Look at her. She’s keeping tabs.”

Luna peered through the crowd of butlers wading through the rows of foiled boxes that contain an assortment of breakfast items like bacon and baked beans, but also dispensers that pours coffee and milk. Two stood by the waffle machine as one opened the lid, sending a gust of steam into the air as he poured warmed syrup onto it before cutting it out of the pan.

The green-band trainee walked through each dispenser to check on their statuses. As the box for the french toast emptied up, she raised her hand and called for the kitchen, rather nervously.
Their eyes checked on her as they bring themselves to coffee. Barry scribbled notes on the trainee and checked his watch. 0812.

“Kayla left the depot, did she?”

“Yes, she did.” Barry nodded. “Yes, she did. You have a guest you’ll need to welcome soon, so, go get prepared.”

Luna looked at her one last time. “I will.”