Heather, Sylvia, Monica, and I were the ones doing the trial. The inside of the bowl looked like the other one except four times the amount of seats. Ashley loved playing with her seat belt. The chairs looked more like office chairs than video game chairs. With so many people inside, the air was more warm than the arrival trip. Sylvia is going to read the instructions. We are using the original program. No fancy virtual reality goggles. The plan is that other passengers would serve as extra eyes in case we miss anything.
The lights dimmed. The screen became the only source of light. The screen showed tall yellow grass a couple feet higher than our avatars. A single acacia tree is seen in the distance. The crunching of grass is heard. We move slowly, hiding in the tall grass away from what is most likely the Nile river. Sylvia described the source of the crunching. There was a hidden hippo programmed into the trial. Our next step is to all touch the hippo, then we finish our goal. However, we cannot touch the head. Orion described the hippo in the top right corner of my screen. I appear to be approaching from the back.
Monica put more distance between her and the hippo. Monica could see the hippo. As she crept to it, the hippo's head was facing her left. The hippo was a left side shot view. Monica is currently at an arm's length of the hippo. Monica looked up. Heather was not across from her. She looked behind the hippo. Zach was there. She turned to the hippo's head. She could make out Heather's clothes among the yellow field. Heather's hair is her best camouflage right now.
Heather was fidgety. As she traveled through the tall grass, the rustling seemed quite loud. Heather could see Monica and Zach already in position. The hippo was undisturbed in eating the grass. Heather is tempted to just run and touch it to be over with. Why can't she? Heather's real self looked at Carl. As the three touch the hippo, Carl will detonate a delayed bomb to destroy the equipment. Gertrude will be marooned here to keep Ming and others from reaching Earth. World War 3 will have to wait indefinitely. Heather has always been cautious. Heather felt like she could make it. The hippo could turn around and charge at her. Based on the observation of Zach or Monica not upsetting the hippo, Heather concluded she would not upset the animal.
Heather yelled, "Now Carl!!" Carl pressed the remote's button. The bowl began to shake. Heather's avatar wobbles. Off balance Heather ran to the hippo. Monica and Zach set their hands on the hippo. Heather reached out while taking her last steps. Heather set her hand on the hippo's right side. The screens flashed white. The shaking on the bowl increased. A wall of familiar light began scanning the bowl. The passengers' smiled knowing they were going home. As the light enveloped the last of the bowl, the shaking stopped.
One month later:
Heather and Zach finished their story. Heather's professor did not believe an ounce of what Heather said. He believed Zach met her somewhere else. The doors of the lecture room opened. A young female redhead in a pantsuit came in. Behind her, Orion was carrying the door of their bowl.
"I would like to introduce you to Ashley Goodnite." Heather pointed to the redhead in a pantsuit. Ashley bowed to the audience. "...she is the smartest infant I have ever met..." Heather and Zach kissed each other.
YOU ARE READING
Spaceportation
Ficțiune științifico-fantasticăAre you tired of life here? Do you want to travel without the distance between? Could this be a way to move people away permanently? Apply now and join the experimental, Spaceportation Program.
