The Last Adventure of Dr. Yngve Hogalum

Chapter 14 ~ Magnetron Courts Destiny

"I nearly broke down into an indecorous state of lachrymosity when Mrs. Mackenzie appeared, bashfully presenting me with a bottle of champagne..."

It is a curious sensation: that of progressing at a rapid pace, accomplishing one task after the other in an efficient manner, and yet focusing so thoroughly on each individual task as to have no appreciation for the progress being made toward one's own main objective.

The clock leapt forward, ticking off hours at a time rather than minutes.

Anders was still out of town, so I pressed Pung into service, an assignment he was all too eager to accept.  His task was twofold: to assist me with heavy or tedious tasks, and to reduce Dr. Hogalum's interference by keeping him occupied.

I spoke little, attending to the innumerable details, as Pung and Dr. Hogalum maintained a spirited discussion on a variety of topics ranging from firecrackers to the Confucian Analects.  They were an odd pair: The doctor, the very essence of bold self-assurance, effortlessly deciphered Pung's incomprehensible cant; Pung, his estimable wisdom completely obscured by his preposterous appearance and demeanor, was somehow able to comprehend Dr. Hogalum's technical jargon and grandiloquent idiolect.

Thus we advanced: lubricating and adjusting the Caelestis, inspecting and patching her balloon, securing the connections of the Cerebral Harness, testing and re-inspecting every jot and tittle, and finally loading the entire amalgamation on a specially designed rolling gantry.  All of this as Pung and Dr. Hogalum chattered without respite.

Soon, it was morning.  I was so exhausted then as to be but semi-conscious, but as I write this I recall in minute detail the scene as I rolled open the hangar door and looked out upon the grounds.  Dawn broke as Pung and I rolled the doctor to the designated launch point.  I nearly broke down into an indecorous state of lachrymosity when Mrs. Mackenzie appeared, bashfully presenting me with a bottle of champagne, a '25 Perrier-Jouët.  She had come to christen the Caelestis.

"Stand clear," I announced.  "There remains much work to be done."  Pung and Mrs. Mackenzie dutifully retreated several steps and watched as I began to prepare for launch.  Mrs. Mackenzie took the opportunity to chide Pung about his cats and their extensive mischief.  Pung replied that the Caelestis closely resembled a tuna fish.

"This mechanism automatically reduces pressure in the balloon as the atmosphere becomes rarer," I instructed.  "This mechanism here is also automatic, releasing the balloon from the Caelestis as waning gravity fails to hold this switch closed.  Do not attempt to fly around until the balloon has detached or you may become entangled in the lines."

"Yes, yes, we have gone over this one thousand and eight times, Magnetron!" replied Dr. Hogalum.  "Let us commence the launch!"

I unrolled the balloon and ignited the burners.  Full inflation took approximately three-quarters of an hour.  Pung and Mrs. Mackenzie began to fidget and bicker while the mundane procedure took its course.  After half an hour or so, my earlier alertness began to wane, and I became mesmerized by the whooshing sound of burning gas and excited air molecules.

I was roused from my dough-headed reverie when Dr. Hogalum exclaimed, "Satan's palace of torment!  Hurry up, Magnetron!  Someone's coming!"