Civilization Beyond the Stars - discontinued

5

The sight was mind blowing, amazing, outworldly and the wind was justified. It was beyond comprehension how such a heavy thing could have made so little sound. If I'd seen it land on the terrace, I would've put my bets on the fact that the roof would give way. What I saw was right out of a sci fi fantasy fiction book. As if in a trance I stepped out and realized with a jolt that I'd just given my cover away. My eyes frantically searched around for some sign of life and fixed on the silhouette of a man in the far corner. He stood so still that he seemed to merge with the wall behind him. I discerned that I was not expected to notice him so I played along and sheied my gaze away. On the inside, I was relieved because I had recognized the man.

The massive spaceship of sorts occupied much of the space on the terrace. It was disk shaped getting progressively taller at the centre. But at its peak, it was barely my height. The bottom one third was some sort of metal whereas the rest was made up of a reflective material. The ship hovered inches above the ground with the help of tiny but powerful propellars which were also the cause of the wind. I could see inside the ship through an opened doorway, of which I could see no door. The interiors had an warm yellow glow and were ultra luxurious. The seats faced to my right and the steering panel was not visible. the inside seemed much larger than the the space occupied by the ship. It was as if the room inside was bigger than the ship but yet inside it. It was hard to wrap my mind around what I was seeing. Instinctively I reached for the locket. An anchor to the normal world.

But my hand searched my pocket in vain. The reassuring feel of the cold silver of the locket was absent. For a moment, I panicked.

"The locket has fulfilled its purpose, you'll not find it with you. It was only meant to be used once" came a voice from behind me. I whirled to face the man who had spoken. I was aware of his presence but did not know when he had come so close. He stood at an arm's length from me. He was in the same strange clothes in which he had met me earlier minus the sword. A small smile played across his lips. A smile of genuine happiness.

"That was quick. I had not expected you to call me for a month atleast after seeing you freak out last time." "Ready to go?" he asked.

I replied with a slight nod, not trusting my voice at the moment and followed him inside the sleek vessel. I entered the ship carefully, trying to be as graceful about it as I could. Drinking it all in, I seated myself in one of the splendid chairs, stubbing my toe in the process. They were beige colored and looked magnificient under the warm glow of the cheerful cabin lights.

"What is your name, uhh....sir? I asked uncertainly. "You can just call me Ken, no need for the sir."he replied.i was iintent on remembering his name. My memory, when it comes to names is simply horrible. During the whole course of my freshman year, not once could I remember my math teacher's name. Forget about classmates.

I looked around the spacious cabin in wonder. As soon as Ken had sat on his chair, numerous screens had flickered to life in front of him. They weren't projected on a surface but seemed to hover in the air, almost transparent in nature, therefore not obstructing the view from the windows. I could still see the tall 17 storey apartment complexes in a distance. As the cabin light dimmed, I buckled myself in.

The inside of the spaceship gave off a mordern look and was immaculately neat. The smell of fresh leather was in the air. The vessel rose with a silent whir, the trademark of well oiled machinery. I was stunned with the view offered by the huge windows. The city looked breathtakingly beautiful. Countless lights twinkled below, as far as the eye could see. Like the stars themselves had decended to the ground. Roads and highways twisted and curved under one another forming a complex network. Numerous buildings of radically varying shapes and sizes were scattered all over. The randomness of it all was the best though. It seemed like a magnificient tapestry ofo urban life. I fell back in my seat as Ken swiftly accelerated battling the earth's gravitational pull.

The act of sneaking out of the house still had me uneasy though. I feared that I would be discovered. After all, sneaking out with a complete stranger at night is not what my parents would approve of. The worry of getting discovered constantly nagged me.