I was on the verge of unleashing a positronic lightning bolt to destroy all of CERN when Nat and Anna Maria showed up with fondue takeout. We quickly took over two tables in the CERN dining hall. They unpacked a small cauldron of molten cheese and laid out varieties of bread and meat that would satisfy a dozen people. So it had a small chance of satisfying the four of us. Fortunately, they also had a dessert fondue of chocolate loaded with liqueur.
Scientists and others would occasionally come by, but an evil eye from me or Jack sent them on their way. Nat and Anna maria regaled us with what they had been doing. Kate had come in from the Pacific Northwest to help Nat cover my area, while Anna Maria got help from Stavros from Greece to cover Jack’s side of the Med. Fortunately, both the Plains states and Europe were fairly calm, weather wise.
“Except for this weird cyclone that just popped up in the same area where you first exploded,” Nat said, dunking in half a baguette into the cheese. “It was barely an F1, though, so we just let it peter out on its own.”
“’s weird, right?” I said, devouring half a sausage dripping with cheese.
I considered dipping the other half in the chocolate, but decided against it. Maybe later. “Only if we call every tornado in the Alley weird.”
“They’re weird,” Jack said.
“Joaquim, must you stir up trouble?” Anna Maria said.
“Never seen an F1 that small, though. I’d call it a dust devil but it reached the clouds. Don’t know. Weird shit is always happening to us.”
“Case in point,” Jack said, gesturing between the two of us.”
“The two of you, bring the weirdness on yourselves,” Anna Maria said, and shoved a chocolate dipped strawberry in Jack’s mouth before he could reply.
“She has a point,” I admitted, dunking part of the sausage in the chocolate.
“Oh, God, I think you just ruined fondue, Reilly.” Nat tossed the rest of her baguette on the plate, looking away in horror.