Feng Burger

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Adelle Turner arrived for her first day as a Burger Podder in a rusty blue station wagon that had a permanent driver-side tilt of about five degrees. She lumbered around the Pod, doing all of her outside checks. Master gas valve, pilot light, alarm, all okay. Then she unlocked the padlock, turned herself sideways, and heaved herself up the two steps and inside.

More checks. Grill fire, refrigerator temp, patty supply, condiment supply. She ticked each item off on her clipboard, then sat down for a rest.

While she waited for her breath to come back, she pulled a copy of People out of her purse. Michelle Kwan was on the cover, eyes screwed shut in concentration, left skate carving a spray of ice, right leg stuck straight out towards the reader. Adelle turned to Michelle's story and read through it slowly, pacing herself so that the magazine would last all day.

In another part of Adelle's head, a daydream took form. Powered by the chi flow, it rocketed through the fume hood and up into the stratosphere

There, it found one of its kin.

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