Bulma awoke to someone knocking on her door. She gracefully slid off the bed, and looked at the clock hanging on the wall. She had only slept for five hours, but she was used to it. Slipping into a silk gown, she opened the door and found her friend Sikha outside. She was already wearing the 'Scientist's gear' as they called it.

"Come on, Bulma, some important guy is coming to talk to us, we have a meeting in the Great Hall in fifteen minutes!"

"But I just woke up! I need a shower!"

She left the door ajar and threw the dressing gown on the bed, running to the small bathroom connected to her bedroom. Sikha entered the room and closed the door behind her.

"Bulma, darling your room is a mess!"

And indeed it was. Papers and files litttered the floor like a white carpet, and the flowers on Bulma's desk had wiltered long ago. Ten minutes later our two scientists were walking briskly towards the Great Hall. They found the room to be already full, but they managed to grab two chairs close to the stage where Mr.Smith was showing everyone both rows of teeth. He was also making swooning gestures at the female scientists located about three rows behind Bulma.

However, next to our Bulma's row was another full of strangers. Everyone was looking at them and whispering. Sikha nudged Bulma.

"I wonder who they are. They look serious, don't they?"

Actually, they looked almost annoyed. Five men and two women dressed in black suits sat straight, not talking to one another, waiting and looking straight ahead to the stage. Mr.Smith tapped the tiny microphone that was standing in the middle of the stage.

"Hqqhimm, testing, testing... Alright everybody settle down!"

Everyone quit whispering and started to listen.

"I have brought you here today because I have some very important news to tell you. I think that you have all noticed our guests situated here in the front rows. They are here, because a foreign company is interested in buying the Dome Organization." He waited for the sudden outburst of whispering to subside. "Silence, please!"

Sikha and Bulma turned to stare at one another with comical O shaped mouths. Mr.Smith made a face similiar to that of a bird ruffling it's feathers.

"Please! Now, as I was saying, The IRC, or the International Researching Company is interested in buying the Dome and linking them to other research facilities. This thing would better the overall research for the whole planet! Of course, not all of you will continue to have a secure job, but this is still to be discussed and decided."

Bulma complained to herself. This was truly unfair! The Dome Organization employed over 3,500 persons! Mr.Smith continued.

"Now I hand over the stage to the head of the IRC, Mr.Vegeta Breigh."

The tension in the Hall was palpable. Everyone knew that they could loose their jobs in the next 48 hours. Mr.Breigh walked on stage. The female scientists almost "Ooh"ed his entrance. It was nothing to do with his looks really. He was certainly very, very handsome, but he was also short and his hair stood up in a weird way. It was mostly the way that he walked on stage that silenced the whole Hall. He had an aura about him that captivated the whole group. He did not silence anyone, simply because no-one was talking. Hell, they were hardly breathing! Bulma wondered if it was just her, but this man almost creeped her out. She almost expected him to pull out a hand grenade and kill them all.

Mr.Breigh stood tall behind the microphone and started to talk in a slow, sensous rythm that sent shivers up their spines. At least Bulma hoped that she wasn't the only one.

"You all know why I am here, and who I am, so I really don't have much to tell you. Mr.Smith insisted though, so I accepted to talk to you all personally. I have nothing to say, except that me and my colleagues will be living in Metal Dome for a while to see how the researchers work between them. It will be my decision to determine whether you keep your job or not. So I advise you all tidy you rooms and be on your best behaviour." He said the last sentence with something between a smile and a sneer. Bulma and all the others laughed nervously. With that Mr.Smith and a few over-excited scientists clapped, as Mr.Breigh made his way down from the stage.

The meeting was over.

(((((((((That's my second chapter... I don't know, is it too short? I thought that it felt right to leave it at that, I'll write the next chapter to explain Bulma's reaction. Oh I'm sitting like an idiot puppy most of the time waiting for a review. Hehe. I'll decide whether to continue the story when I get some reviews and see what you people think, alright? ))))))))))))