Dream Walkers

Part 2 Chapter 5

The hoverbus took only a few minutes to fly up one of the ramps to the top of the plateau and land at the spaceport.

Khy'Hee led the other passengers towards the towering Star-Friend. Allison could now see that the ship was nestled into a gigantic bowl in the ground, even so, it was at least four times the height of the spaceport buildings. A mobile bridge crossed over the gap to the doorway. At the edge of this, Joe turned to Allison, "As a new passenger you'll need to go through reception where you'll be checked in and given your key and boarding information." He pointed to the recessed double door that was opening at the approach of the other passengers. "And don't forget to make sure that your luggage is on board! Just follow us."

Nervously she followed the other passengers and her two new friends. Then watched from the threshold of the inner door as they went through a name and card check. They walked off down a corridor with only a 'see you later'.

As the mental chatter faded, Allison took a deep breath, lifted her chin and approached the reception desk that was just beyond the doorway. She told the receptionist, a Reeligan with bright red nails, "I'm a new passenger. I understand that I have to sign in?" The woman's broadcast of controlled panic made Allison uncomfortably aware that the Reeligan female had difficulty making sense of the forms and the computer.

"I am sorry but I'm only an emergency fill in. The normal staff went walkabout and got caught in the high humid heat of pre hot rainstorm."

"Are they alive? Didn't they know about the weather warnings?"

"Don't worry, they're now doped up in sickbay recovering from heatstroke. All the crew and passengers were warned about the weather conditions, but some people cannot be told. I'm really am sorry, but there's no one to take you to your cabin. When the pre takeoff signal comes through, I need to get off. I'll only have a few minutes before lift-off. No way am I going all the way to Earth! I've got a family to look after. Ha! The computer says that your cabin is eighty-three B, and that it's on the level above us. Four bags have been taken to your cabin. Is that right?"

"Yes. That's right."

The woman smiled, "Good! And here is your key and flight information; fortunately, the staff seems to have set that up before they went for their walk. Look, this seems to be level one, all the rooms are marked A, and that corridor is the one going to the B section." She pointed to a sign with an arrow next to a 'B'. "You must be strapped in on the shockbed for takeoff as the Gees can be bad. So you'd better get going."

With the precious key in her hand Allison walked in the direction indicated. Well at least my luggage is on board.

Farther inside the starship, her heart sunk, there was not a plant to be seen, just corridor after corridor of gleaming, echoing metal. She wrinkled her nose. The air smells musty and stale. How am I going to survive in here for six weeks?

I need to look for a stairway like what they had on Earth. It's logical there will be stairs as this is an Earth starship. Suppose I'll have to get used Earth people's way of doing things and multiple levels.

She kept looking and walking, but looked in vain. She wandered down corridor after corridor. She couldn't find a stairway, and there was no one around to ask. She then thought of going back the way she had come, only to realize that she was lost.

Allison fought back her tears, I must not cry, I must not! All I have to do is wait. Someone is sure to come along soon. She sat down by a crossroads, with her back against the wall, and waited and waited, feeling very tired: her eyelids felt so heavy.

Suddenly a voice said, "All passengers are to go to their cabins and to strap in. Take off is in ten minutes."

Allison jumped to her feet, thinking that she must have fallen asleep. She looked about her, but could see no one. There must be a tannoy. I must get to my cabin; it's dangerous not to be strapped in for lift-off.

Very quietly she thought; what am I to do? Dad said as a Suddings I could use the training without compromising my journey, anyway those Earth people used ligta. She sent out a desperate thought message, at the same time visualizing the crossroads where she stood, 'I am lost. Please help.'

Moments later, Khy'Hee came running down one of the corridors, "You must hurry. We lift off in eight minutes."

They ran back down the corridor. Khy'Hee stopped at a door, and pressed a button, a light lit above the button and the door opened, "What number is your cabin?"

"Eighty three B."

"When you are inside the lift, press the button marked 'B', the lift will take you to your floor. When the doors open, look at the wall opposite. There'll be a sign telling you which corridor to take to the eighties. Hurry!" He waited until the door closed, and then ran back to the crew's quarters.

The tannoy system spoke again. "All passengers and crew to strap in. Lift off in five minutes."

Four minutes later, Allison having found her cabin unlocked the door, using the key that she had been given, and closed it quickly. She rushed over to the shock bed, strapping in hurriedly, as the countdown for the last minute began. She hardly noticed that one wall of her cabin was a three-dimensional picture of a woodland glade. The soft green of the grass dotted with yellow flowers, and under the trees the ground was a blue floral carpet. The picture gave her a sense of relief from the plain metal walls of the corridors.

She relaxed as the shock bed moulded its self to her body contours, just as the first acceleration made her body feel heavy. "Made it," she sighed, letting her eyes close.