Full Body Inflation

For the world, it began as a perfectly normal day.  The sun rose, the winds blew clouds over the ocean, and everything was normal.  But one thing was all across the news come midmorning.  Every headline in every newspaper, across every language, said the same thing:

ASTEROID HEADED FOR PLANET

The sound of a page occasionally being turned was more or less the only thing audible throughout most of the building, save for maybe the odd creaking of a chair or a cough or two. Of course, though, libraries tend to be like that at the best of times. It was particularly quiet, however, on the evening at which he found himself taking up residence in a secluded wing of the library for some quality reading time.

“Hello, Alexis.  It’s been a while.”

Lexi jumped in her chair, always a little startled when Moira announced her presence.  “Announce” wasn’t the appropriate word since she never actually heard Moira speak.  Moira didn’t have a mouth or vocal cords; she somehow always put her words directly into Lexi’s thoughts, and read her thoughts as a response.

“Hey, you.”

“Is now a good time?”