SUNGLASESS AND ROCKETS Part 2: The Machine

PLAN C

I was obviously hallucinating.

I locked my jaws even more. Additionally, I stiffened from head to toe and my eyes were clenched shut. Only in this way would I be able to endure what was to come, which would be, at best, a lift capable of making us as flat as pancakes.

But, there was no lift. Neither was there an explosion.

The trembling ceased unexpectedly.

I opened my eyes again and fixed them on the pilot's seat. The doctor was banging one of the boards on his left, swearing at the poor rocket.

"You heard right," he confirmed and fixed his attention on the control board above him. "Mission is cancelled."

I was flabbergasted by the confirmation.

"What happened?" Darwin asked.

I adjusted my helmet in order to hear better.

"There is trouble with the valves in the auxiliary tanks..."

"What about the trip to the moon?" my friend dared to ask.

"Later."

"When?" Darwin inquired.

"Your mission is over," the doctor replied sharply. "Understood?"

Darwin didn't ask anymore questions. I was still confused.

Suddenly, I felt oddly upset. As a traveler, I could not free myself from the frustration that one feels when a trip is cancelled at the very last minute. However, the uncomfortable feeling did not last more than a second.

My good sense, which was still sound, took control of the situation and I understood that my life had just been saved from a spectacular death. I tilted my head toward Darwin in order to share the good news. My friend still remained on the lookout.

He wasn't moving.

"The smoke has started to disperse," the doctor's voice was heard, breaking the silence. "You may go out."

"Okay," I answered mechanically.

"Go to the duct of zone KJ-N-231 which leads to the beach, immediately," the doctor continued urgently. "I need you to leave the silo as soon as possible!"

That was the most sensible order that I'd heard over the last few days. I mean, something didn't quite fit.

"Aren't you coming?" I asked.

"I'll catch up with you at the hotel. Go straight to the duct now! You will join Vanessa over there."

That was all I needed to know.

"Roger," I replied, marveled.

The enthusiasm made me get rid of my helmet at once. I felt my forehead tugged; blood had stuck on the liner. I ran the back of my hand on the wound.

"Well!" I said, not making a big deal about the blood that was starting to clot. "It was just a scratch!"

Be that as it may, I forgot about the injury when I began to loosen my seatbelts. I noticed that I was moving my arms quickly.

My body responded to the call of love.

I was free of the seatbelts in a matter of seconds. Then, I spun over the back of the seat and dropped my feet on the adjacent seat at the same time as I was boosting myself forward. I crouched down and a sudden dizziness took a hold of me. The cabin had spun round. Everything was sideways. I stayed still for a moment and breathed deeply several times.