Escape from Paradise

Chapter 19: Enter the Waterworld

Two nervous days had passed and Larry had not received a message from Diana. During that time he managed to get a travel permit to the Waterworld. Sully who proved to be reluctant to help but after sophisticated persuasion, light pressure and constant reminding of the old times cracked, pulled a few strings, made a few calls and Larry got himself a ticket. He stood first in line which stretched more than a hundred paces into the distance from the front of the gate of the Space Control station and continued growing in length.

Everyone in line except Larry appeared dazed and dreamy. They were one foot on the blue moon, imagining adventures and magic that was expected to last for two short weeks, which would not be long enough for anyone. Larry realized, how wonderful it was that even in such a perfect world people still had a place to long and yearn for – a paradise inside a paradise.

Larry remembered his last visit to the blue moon and its effect on him. He had been stuck in a two-week long trance during which his eyes had been leading and his mind only following. After the visit, he realized that a part of him had been erased, his fog of memories brought closer. Part of him had vanished, part of his precious memories about Diana had disappeared. He hated it. The pleasures were not worth the amnesia and a strange sensation of losing that unidentifiable piece of himself. He had decided never to return again.

The gate slid to the sides and Larry took a step closer to the place of deceptive wonder.

A pack of five cans with spherical lids on top flew in from one of the two tunnels in front. Their colors: a variety of tinges of azure and sunlight yellow associated with the little moon. They waved, checked the tickets and cheered. One after another with no interruptions they said, "Welcome. Please proceed...Ten at a time. Ten at a time...Show me a ticket. Thank you. Thank you...Have a wonderful time...Pleased to meet you...Wait for a for four to five minutes. The second shuttle had just entered the atmosphere and is about to lant...Please wait before proceeding..."

Twenty paces away from the entrance, stretched two narrow tunnels. The first one from which the tourists returned was still closed. The other to which a red arrow on the ground with words 'To the Waterworld' pointed was open. Though Larry was not physically pushed forward he could sense the pressure of the nine zombies behind him. If he turned around, he knew, he would see a pair of condemning eyes urging him to hurry up.

A minute of walk later the group stepped into a hangar which had two narrow tubes impaled into the roof at both ends. From the left tube came a weakening sound of a heavy object bouncing against the walls, sliding and screeching. A shuttle slipped through the tube, slid along an inclined rail and stopped by the line of tourists. The shuttle was an enlarged bullet of reflective silver with an arm's width uniform window going around it. On the other side of the bullet a door opened. The returning citizens left the shuttle staring at the ground, their steps slow and heavy, postures as those of a team of flyball players who had just lost an important game. Differently, from flyball players, Larry could relate to these returned tourists and to their sadness. How strange was it that even the most wonderful place such as the Waterworld could produce negative emotions? Why memories for people were never enough?

When the line of upset passengers left, the door opened to the ten exultant newcomers. Running by Larry, pushing each other, the nine enthusiasts squeezed in through the doorway which could be passed only by a single person at a time. When Larry took the last remaining seat – the left one in the back – the unmanned vehicle began to move at a snail's pace, doubling its speed with every second. Just like the living chairs the seats adjusted into shapes perfectly fitting passengers' back and bottoms. Then they enclosed their users from both sides, locking the neck and head in place and leaving only the arms unstrapped. The shuttle moved up the slightly inclined rails which near the end of the hangar curved upwards. Still accelerating, after the ninety-degree turn the shuttle shot for the sky through a narrow tube. Larry's chest exploded. Everyone screamed.