zero hour

a drink on the keys prt I

Motion...
They were still on the go, still traveling.

Lana had lost track of her place in the world after the third time they transferred from one mode of transportation to another.

She startled herself awake, when in her dream state, she mistook slight turbulence, rattling and dropping sensation of the cabin's movement for the sensation of it stalling out, and about to start falling out of the sky.

If you have ever watched fight club.... you can imagine the cut-scene might be like, as Lana's imagination runs away with the imagery of some mid-air collision ending her life before she can even wake up- walls of the conveyance ripping away, her body yanked out into emptiness so fast she didn't have time to scream.

She opened one eye, just enough to see that everything was fine. She was facing the small window... sleeping with her face at an awkward angle, body slumped against the upward sweeping curvature of the conveyance's cabin, which continued to rattle uncomfortable and then finally smoothens out, stillness.

Debating, for a moment, between waking up and just sliding back into the dreamless absence of everything of sleep...

She foggily looks out the window. She can't tell where they are, it's all steely-blue-grayish out there.... the blur of motion. But not much else. The window was actually reflecting back enough of the cabin's ambient light that it was acting more like a mirror than a window.

'Ugh. Enough.... Get up'

Agent Lana straightens herself up in her seat, raises her arms, stretches, and yawns, somehow magically managing to look honestly adorable doing it. A slow series of crunching pops as her vertebrae realign subtly. 'Ah... that's better'

She looked around, the cabin of the private Agency chopper was dimly light. Everyone but Mack, and now herself, was snoozing. The chopper's AI auto-pilate quietly monitoring everyone's vitals and brainwaves, registered that she just woke up.

AI Pilot: [with a TONE- the simulation of a low, deep, rich Tibetan Singing bell being struck with a heavy, woolen malette, announcing that It is about to speak] Good Morning Agent Lana. Any Requests?

Lana: Thanks. No.

AIPilot: Very well.

Lana: [half whispered] Mack...?

AIPilot: [TONE] Sorry, Agent "Mack" (is that a lilt of judgment in the AI's voice?) is currently unavailable. She is in Meditation Mode, with serval routine side bar applications running.

Lana: Huh?

PilotAI: [TONE] She's not sleeping, but she is not here.

Lana: Ah... Oh? Huh? Ma... uh, Sir?

AI Pilot: [TONE] She can't hear you, Sir! She's ordered a temporary Do Not Disturb Sign. Official Business with Agency HQ. Way over your pay grade, Sir. No Disrespect meant.

Lana: [mildly Snarky] I see... None Taken.

AIPilot: [TONE] Ah good, thank you, Sir. Any Requests, Sir?

Lana: Stop calling me sir.

AIPilot: [TONE] I can't sir, it's "Hardwired" in, sir.

Lana: Ok. Fine.... [pause] Where are we?

AIPilot: [TONE] In a series M34 FullyAuto Agency Operated Multi-Mode Conveyance, en-rout to a Classified Destination.

Lana: Where?

AIPilot: [TONE] Where... What, sir?

Lana: Where is that?

AIPilot: [TONE] That's Classified, Sir! You seem Frustrated and Tired, Sir. Would you like me to put on some music and inductive AlphaBrainwave Therapeutic sleep state until we reach our destination?

Lana: [groggy, half-alseep] Uh... Actually, I would.... rather know... more about...

AIPilot: [TONE] Excellent, Sir! Inducing Sleep Mode! Have a nice nap! [TONE] [TONE][TONE]

Lana begins to try and form a sentence in her mind in protest of the forcible onset of "sleep mode". She had actually wanted to wait awake for Mack to exit her immersion call with the Agency.

But the device gently attenuated her brainwave signature towards sleep, and strongly enforced the pattern, until she dove down deep into the void of unconsciousness.

Black Out.