Chapter 57: Home “Improvement”
“So, what do we want to build?” Derek asked, manifesting a small illusory replica of the plateau above the bridge’s central table.
“Mountain chalet feels about right,” Atticus offered. “You know, big fireplace, bearskin rug in the middle of the living room …”
“This place is boiling already; a fireplace would be suicidal,” Mimi pointed out. “And there aren’t any bears on this planet.”
“Okay, a general ‘chalet’ vibe should work, though,” Atticus amended.
“I like it,” Derek agreed, changing the illusion to match, then split it in half to show the interior. “What if we do something like this: big open space in the center, skylight overhead, balcony around the outside, everyone gets one side of the second floor as their room, and the first floor gets turned into a shared space. Kitchen, pool, living room, the usual. Maybe excavate a cellar for the hell of it.”
“If you want a cellar, we’re going to have to build it somewhere else,” Mimi pointed to a couple of spots on the illusion. “Otherwise, the ground’s going to crumble away before we even leave.”
Derek winced. “Is there anywhere we can build it?”
“Sure, just not right at that spot. I’ll figure out where to put it once we have a final design,” she told him.
Derek nodded. That was a much better way of going about it. It was faster, and they were less likely to wear down their engineer’s patience. Design first, then figure out where it went, and finally, once that was settled, figure out where to go to get the materials.