'Sacmis' (formerly 'Alien Abduction')

Chapter 25: Weightless

“Enjoy Weightwatchers,” called Amisha as she and the others walked away, leaving Laura and Teo standing by the hatchway.

“Ready?” said Teo.

“You bet,” said Laura

Teo pressed his hand against a pad next to the hatch. It moved inwards with a hiss of escaping pressure and slid to one side. He stepped over the door frame then turned and offered her his hand.

Laura hesitated for a second then took his hand and stepped in after him. Did she imagine it, or was there just the faintest tingle as they touched, like static electricity?

She found herself inside a small tube-shaped chamber about three metres long. The curvature of the floor meant they had to stand barely inches from each other and she found his nearness unsettling in a way she couldn’t quite rationalise. The walls were padded with several handholds. At the other end of the tube was a hatch like the one they’d just come through.

“Not much room to float in here,” she observed, glancing around to avoid looking up into those enormous golden eyes.

“This is not the chamber itself, just the outer lock,” said Teo, “It isolates the anti-gravity effect in the main chamber from the rest of the ship.”

She nodded.

“Before we go in,” said Teo, “let me tell you what to expect. Your entire life you have lived with gravity - the weight of your own body and the feeling of being supported - mainly by the ground. But in here none of that applies. Nothing prepares you for the sensation. There’s no up, no down.” 

“I get it,” said Laura.

“I’m not sure you really do,” said Teo with a smile, “no one ever does the first time. Now, take hold of one of these handles - ”

Laura reached out her left hand and wrapped it around one of the padded handles fixed to the curved wall next to her.

“When I open the inner door,” said two, “you’ll gradually become weightless as the anti-gravity effect reaches in here. Then when you’re ready we’ll go through.”

Laura reached out and took hold of one of the padded handles.

Teo closed the hatch they’d come through, then moved to the opposite hatch. As well as the usual touchpad, this one had a spoked wheel in the centre. 

“There’s a mechanical lock on this hatch, as well as the electric control,” he explained.

He spun the wheel then touched the pad next to it. The hatch moved inwards then slid to one side. Leaning forward to look through the opening, Laura could see a small section of curved wall.

“Hold on now,” warned Teo.

At first Laura felt no change. She could still feel the pressure of her feet on the floor below - then - whoa! - the pressure started to slip away and she could no longer feel the floor at all. 

“Oh my God!” she gasped and pulled on the handhold even more tightly. As she did this, her legs floated out from beneath her so she was looking along her jeaned legs at her trainers which now floated horizontally in front of her.

This doesn’t look too dignified was her first thought. Good thing I didn’t choose a skirt was the second.

She glanced towards Teo who looked relaxed as he floated parallel to the wall of the tube, his fingertips resting lightly on a handhold.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“I can’t feel my body,” said Laura, “I can see it, but it’s like it…disappeared.”