The Paradox Corridor

Chapter 12: Fight and Flight

After a while, James shook himself awake, and saw on the GPS that the Mills was less than a mile away. He nudged Amber awake, and she woke up Andrew.

"We're almost there," he said. They all looked at the custodian, who had been getting tenser and tenser throughout the ride.

"What's wrong?" asked Amber. The custodian looked in his rearview mirror for perhaps the tenth time that minute. The custodian was quiet for a minute, and then suddenly barked,

"Andrew!"

"Yes sir?" responded a confused Andrew.

"That switch by you?"

"Yes?"

"When I said 'Go!', flip it. Got it?" Andrew looked confused, but nodded his head.

"Wait: what does that do?" asked James, "Could you please tell us what's going on?!?" The custodian turned toward him for a moment, and said,

"Right now, I don't need distractions. I promised I would explain, but not now. I need to be fully concentrated on the road, so I need you to keep silent. Ok?" James nodded his head, embarrassed but not willing to show it. His life was now completely dependent on this weird guy with a semi. He was starting to regret his decision to come. It was too late to back out, though, and he knew it. He sighed and succumbed to his fate. The custodian turned his eyes back on the road. James looked out the window, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Suddenly, the truck's lights flickered, and then went out completely. James sat stiff and upright in his chair. Something bad was going to happen, he just knew it. Suddenly Amber cried out,

"WATCH OUT!" The custodian immediately heeded her warning and swerved to the left, narrowly missing a giant boulder in the middle of the road. James' heart began to rapidly accelerate, his life flashing before his eyes. Any feelings of safety he had had were now gone with the wind, scattered among the stars.

"It begins again" James heard the custodian mutter under his breath.

"What do you mean again?" asked James in outrage, "Has this kind of thing happened before? Why didn't you tell us?!?" The custodian sighed, but didn't answer. He pressed down the pedal as far as it could go, and the truck began to groan as it increased speed.

"We're going too slow," said the custodian, to no one in particular. He hit a button on the panel, and then typed in a code with one hand while he deftly dodged another boulder with his other. He pressed the button again, and he heard a shudder. James looked in the rearview mirror, and saw an unbelievable sight. He witnessed the trailer, which the custodian must have disconnected, collide with something massive behind them. It was too dark for James to see what it was, though. All of a sudden, an earth-shattering BOOM tremored from behind them.

"Holy crap!!! Whats going on back there?!?" screamed Amber, unable to see due to her being in the middle seat.

"Let me show you," replied the custodian. "Andrew! Go!" Andrew started when he heard his name, then threw the lever with all of his might. The truck began to shudder and whine.

"Did I just activate the self-destruct?" asked Andrew, not just a little worried.

"Be silent and observe, and you will know" replied the custodian. James, frightened by all that was happening inside the vehicle, looked out the window, and gasped.

"Amber! Andrew! Look! The truck! The truck!" he yelled.They all watched, riveted, as the truck's front slowly folded up, and split in half and folded out. The cabin's walls began to move around, sliding on hidden hinges, and the cabin began to change shape from squarish to something out of a space comic book, sleek and futuristic. The whole vehicle began to tilt back, and the front wheels folded in, and the parts not being used for the cabin turned into wings, sliding into place until it formed a v-shape. The back of the new cabin was made of glass, so they all ran to it to see what was going on in the back. They watched as the whole vehicle left the ground, and the back wheels folded in, and huge engines popped out. As they gained altitude, Andrew said,