Joey pushed a playful elbow into John’s ribs and then began to slide on his goggles. “Here we go,” he said, “a one way ticket to the last two minutes to midnight.”
John was about to ask him what he meant but the moment was stolen as Veronica bent down and slipped the headset over his eyes, a strong scent of musky perfume striking his nose as things turned black. With both his vision and hearing now compromised he was acutely aware of the beating of his heart as he leaned back in an attempt to get comfortable. Traces of the perfume began to fade and as he steadied his breathing he could feel the bus beginning to slowly accelerate. They were on their way.
At first he focussed on the vibrations that were rising up from the floor, noticing the difference when they must have moved off of the warehouse driveway and out onto the road. Then he tried to count each time the bus made a turn purely as a mental exercise, but he had only counted six when his vision began to return. Or, more to the point, that it began.
It was still dark but a thin crack of light was beginning to emerge high above, growing brighter and wider with every second and spawning a brilliant white mixed with soft blues. With the emerging light, features of a high ceiling came into focus. It looked like steel roofing of some kind, perhaps a factory roof, that was slowly being pulled apart to make room for a stark blue sky. John’s senses were confused at the sight considering his body told him he was reclined back in a bus seat while his eyes and ears suggested something very different. And things only became more surreal.
Sharp electronic colours spawned as if from nowhere and suddenly the alternate reality came into focus in the shape of a control panel for some kind of cockpit. Somewhat jolted by the visual information he looked around as his hands gripped the sides of his chair, and it became clear that he was in some sort of aircraft beneath the roof of a hanger. Glancing down he could see a pair of legs, though they weren’t his, and looking back up he could see the cockpit was encased in a glass dome allowing three hundred and sixty degree viewing. Damn, he thought, this is certainly different.
From somewhere below came an almost ear piercing whining that could only come from the kind of machinery that could shake your rib cage while sucking in fuel and spitting out fire. The roof was completely open and the lines of buttons embedded in the curved cockpit began to flash in a myriad of glowing colours. A metallic yet feminine voice crackled above the growing thunder of the engines.
“Ignition in three… two… one…”
His stomach lurched as he was launched up through the roof and into the blue of the sky. He could just make out a thin line of wispy clouds against the sun, and when a sharp mechanical sound erupted from below he looked down between his alternate legs to see the floor slide away, replaced with a glass base that revealed a sprawling city and coastline that became smaller with every second. He was pretty sure he was looking at New York judging by the layout, though the extreme rush of sudden vertigo caused him to look back up through the glass dome where the blue sky was quickly becoming darker. It wasn’t the sort of dip in light that came from an approaching storm or setting sun, because this was a gradual change that was the same in all directions. The clouds that had seemed so far away just seconds before were now far in the distance beneath his feet. Whatever it was he was riding definitely wasn’t intending to stop anytime soon.
Closer and closer he rushed towards the darkness. Now the glow of the cockpit lights bounced off of the glass, and when he found the courage to look down the sun drenched curve of the earth glistened like some sort of giant disco ball drenched with water. John felt his breath quicken at the awe inspiring vision and chose to stare at the blue planet until it looked no bigger than a golf ball against and endless black sea.
The whining of the engine released one last mechanical cry and then was gone. Seconds later the momentary silence was infused by the soft swells of violins and a subtle piano, and in the distance he could see the outline of the moon and an endless array of stars blinking from places unimaginable. He was heading out into space, alone and unsure of where the journey was headed, and an unexpected thrill began to mix with the adrenaline that had surged with the sensory overload. Who didn’t want to see what lay beyond the clouds?
The craft must have been travelling pretty fast, because to John’s left the outline of the sphere of the moon had become downright enormous. He was close enough to see the mounds of dust that surrounded the countless craters, some of which seemed able to swallow cities whole and then some. The classical music seemed to call out to the silent satellite as they passed by, and the endless of ocean of stars were so clear that it looked as though they were falling towards him. No matter where he pointed his eyes they were there, winking and beckoning his presence somewhere deep in the eternal darkness. In his mind the same word kept repeating itself over and over again.
Beautiful.
It sure as hell wasn’t a word he used too often but, as inadequate as it now seemed against the spectacular vision, it was the only description he could summon. The black of space and endless stars brought a strange feeling of calmness as the violins promised an emotion filled crescendo and John let go of the thoughts swirling on the edge of his consciousness, choosing instead to simply enjoy the view. Now that he could no longer see the moon it was difficult to gauge motion or speed, and for that matter time. Captivated by the soul crushing number of stars and entranced by their simple beauty all John could do was bask in the majesty.
Deeper and deeper into space he travelled. Ahead in the distance a new sphere was taking shape like an eye looking back from the shadows, swelling in size and developing a rusty red colour. John peered down at Mars and studied one of the mountain ranges that had come into view. With a little water and a handful of trees, he thought, it would look just like Earth.
His sense of direction had pretty much dissolved and the vertigo began to ease as he stared out through the cockpit glass and meditated on the infinite number of white jewels all around him. How long he sat transfixed at the vast abyss he couldn’t be sure. Did it matter? The longer he was out there the stronger the desire to stay forever grew. The quiet classical music carried his thoughts away from any urgency, and as Mars grew dimmer and dimmer behind him the sense of movement once again fell away.
He became a still observer of distant stars and planetary systems, and there was something deep inside of him that wanted to call out as though it was inherently familiar somehow, like he had been out here before but the memory had been forced deep down inside and was now waking from a thick web of shadows. He was glimpsing a tiny reveal of the universe for the very first time and yet a surreal sense of belonging refused to be quietened.
Then, a strange smell interrupted the moment. It wasn’t really unpleasant at first, but it had a strong chemical edge to it that he could taste after a few short breaths. It seemed to be getting stronger too, drawing him back from his place amongst the stars to his seat on the bus. His eyes were becoming heavy and heart was beginning to gallop, and John realized there was something wrong. Was he having some sort of reaction to the disorientating vision, or maybe he had just forgotten to breathe while captivated by his surroundings?
He tried to swallow but all the moisture had drained from his mouth and throat. Then he tried drawing in a deep breath, his eyes getting heavier by the second. Now completely sure something was wrong he reached up and slid the viewer from his head, letting it fall to the ground by his feet while he rubbed his eyes in an attempt to adjust to the darkness of the bus cabin. The smell had become overwhelming, and turned to Joey to ask if he could smell it too. Joey, however, was asleep. John turned and looked down the aisle, only to discover that the rest of the passengers had seemingly passed out, heads slumped on shoulders or straight down onto chests. This doesn’t look good, he thought, not one little bit.
Panic was beginning to set in as he turned back and looked through the plexiglass wall at the driver and passenger in the opposite seat. They both appeared awake and alert, and w
ith heavy eyes he looked out through the windscreen at the dark of the road that was only broken by the glow of the headlights. Only it didn’t look like any ordinary road, because John quickly established they were driving in a tunnel just big enough to fit the vehicle. Natural brown earthen walls were lit up by the headlights, as were the small rocks and boulders that lined the edges of the narrow road. He stole another glance at the sleeping passengers and was about to rise from his seat to bang on the glass to get the driver’s attention when the bus began to slow to a crawl. What the hell?
Seconds later and they came to a complete stop. He tried to stand up but his legs wouldn’t budge, leaving him glued to the chair and watching as the driver jumped out of the bus and stepped up to a large iron gate that left less than an inch of room between the dome walls of the tunnel and the security structure. The driver reached out and placed his hand palm down on a large silver plate embedded in the iron. A soft green light scanned his skin and the gate began to slowly swing open away from the bus, revealing more of the tunnel only this time bathed in floodlights that hung from crude hooks along the roof.
He opened his mouth ready to cry out to the driver and tell him something was wrong but the muscles in his jaw refused to accept the signal. All he could do was watch him climb back into his seat and shift the bus back into gear, and as they passed through the gates the world fell away into a pit of darkness.
Chapter 19
“Wake up.”
The voice was soft and whispery as though carried along the edge of a breeze across an endless ocean. The darkness was strong though, and quickly engulfed the distant call so that nothingness was all there was.
“John, I need you to open your eyes for me now okay?”
The voice carried by the breeze was stronger this time, with a weight of urgency that began to dissolve away at the darkness, leaving slivers of grey and white that grew brighter and brighter, forcing his thoughts to begin to surface from the edges of eternity.
John’s eyes shot open and a sudden rush of light sent a jolt down his spine as they struggled to adjust. There was pressure on his shoulder and a sweet scent that became stronger with every forced deep breath. As the blinding light began to ease and his vision came into focus he found a woman’s face just inches from him, with her hand squeezing his shoulder with a soft pressure.
Slowly but surely his nervous system was coming back online, as well as a moment of total confusion at the woman whose perfume he could almost taste. Where the hell was he? With his neck craned he scanned the interior of the bus and the memories began to flood back. The drive with Vanessa. The car park at the back of the warehouse. The bus, he was on a bus. John turned his attention back to the woman. It took a couple of seconds but the recognition came. It was Veronica, the woman who had brought him to his seat.
“Well hello there,” Veronica smiled. “You’ve had a bit of a sleep so you might feel a little dizzy but don’t worry, it shouldn’t last long. Oh, and you should know there’s a cup of coffee with your name on it just a few minutes away.”
John lifted a hand to wipe the drool from the edge of his mouth as the realization that he must have been drugged began to dawn. Another quick glance behind him confirmed that he was the last remaining passenger on board.
“Did you seriously fucking knock me out?” he stammered not so much with spite but genuine shock.
“If you mean did we make you comfortable for the journey then yes, we helped a little, but I assure you there’s no reason to be concerned. Things will make more sense once you step inside.”
“Veronica,” he sighed with resignation, “I’m sure you mean well, but I’m really not holding my breath for anything making sense.”
“It depends on which way you look at things,” she laughed while taking a step back to give him room. “Now, if you’d be so kind as to follow me, I’ll make sure you get that coffee.”
John eased out of the chair and felt the blood rush back down through his muscles. He reached up, rubbed the back of his neck, and followed Veronica down the stairs to find they were in a large concrete encased room with a series of exposed lights running along the ceiling. The sound of her shoes echoed sharply as she stepped towards a single metal door and placed her palm against a small glass screen, triggering a green laser that ran across her fingers and palm. When sure that John was right behind her she pushed the door forward and stepped inside.
The stark concrete that enveloped the resting buses was quickly forgotten when he stepped on through and absorbed the awaiting scene, because it couldn’t have been more different or for that matter surprising. It was a large circular room with curved walls decorated with long, streamlined screens displaying an array of different colourful scenes. There was a tropical forest filled with misty steam and a number of small monkeys scurrying for cover along branches of a tree, while beside it a sheer desert landscape with rusty shades of reds and browns stretching off into a distant horizon as wind kicked at the sand around a prehistoric looking lizard. Next to that, large ocean swells exploded along huge rocky cliffs sending up enormous sprays of water that rained back down upon several seals seeming to enjoy the swirling motions, while yet another screen looked as though it might have been a live satellite feed of the Earth as the majestic sphere slowly turned to show the soft greens and sharp blues of her belly.
Lined along the base of the circular wall for nearly three quarters of the length were red leather cushioned seats filled with the passengers from the buses. Some of them looked towards John with interest while others appeared sleepy and struggled to keep their eyes open. There was one guy, however, who seemed wide awake as he tore open a packet of sugar ready to pour into the coffee he held victoriously. It was Joey, who looked back at John with a wink and a grin that promised he was already enjoying himself.
“I tried waking you up but you were sleeping like a bear,” he called out.
John nodded but said nothing as his ears began to pick up subtle classical music that wasn’t too different from what he had heard on his journey up into the stars. In the centre of the room an enormous lava lamp produced a striking red ambience as globs of molten wax broke free from the heated base and slowly twisted and turned along the journey to the top, ready to slide back down the glass to begin the dance again. The fact that the lamp and monitors were the only light sources in the room created an almost party like ambience, though where there should have been loud talk and laughter there was instead soft whispered conversations.
Across the other side of the room was a small doorway draped with brightly coloured wooden beads that John imagined would be more suited to a bygone era when music from rock pioneers mixed with pot clouds and peace symbols were flashed at any opportunity. Veronica disappeared through the beads and John realized he was the only one standing, so located a vacant seat between a heavy set guy with a long platted beard and a young woman with thick glasses who seemed almost hypnotised by the lava lamp.
“How you doing?” the guy asked as John fell into the chair.
“That’s a good question,” John answered quietly.
“It’s overwhelming I’ll give you that. I mean, I heard whispers that this place existed but didn’t really believe it. And yet here we are.”
“Where’s here?” John asked.
“Geographically speaking, no idea. But as to what’s here, well, I’m guessing the beating heart behind the curtain.”
“This is where clarity arrives,” the woman with the glasses added, “and the beating heart becomes a whole lot heavier.”
The rattle of the wooden beads announced Veronica’s return as she glided across the thickly carpeted floor to hand John his promised coffee. He studied the mug as he slipped his fingers into the handle, finding a strange and slightly vicious looking fish set against dazzling silver. As he turned the cup he was surprised to also find his name printed in bold red letters.
“I told you there was a coffee with your name on it,” Veronica grinned.
&n
bsp; “Hey John,” Joey called out. “Risked our lives, dropped a wad of cash and all we got were these fancy looking mugs!”
“Nice looking mug though,” John muttered as he took a long sip and savoured the strong, bitter taste.
Small pockets of conversation began to grow across the room but for the moment he didn’t bother joining in, choosing instead to let the caffeine bump up the electricity in his brain while staring down at the carpet. His walk with Candice along the beach seemed a long way back in time now, and as the glow of the lava lamp ebbed and flowed in the corner of his vision he found himself wishing he could be back in the warm summer rain to watch the water slide down the soft curves of her face. Sure it was probably a futile desire considering he would be heading home soon, but it didn’t change the fact that their brief encounter had left him wanting to know so much more about her. For now though he would have to sharpen his senses and deal with what the night might have in store.
The conversations fell to a quick hush as the beads parted once again, and he looked up to see Klementina stroll into the room. There was a glimmer of excitement in her eyes as she greeted the guests with a silent smile, followed by a slight wince of pain when she sat down on the floor. Classical music continued to play softly in the background, while on the screen behind her a volcano unleashed crimson molten lava up into a night sky.
“So here we all are,” she began, “and I guess I should probably start by explaining why we did what we did to avoid any confusion. Right now you’re all sitting in one of the secure locations of the Hallucigenia Project, and for security reasons it is critically vital that the location is not compromised. Please don’t get me wrong, none of you would be here if we had any reason to think you couldn’t be trusted, but every minute from this point on the list of people out there who will want to shut us down is going to get bigger and bigger, and those people have no filter when it comes to what they’re willing to do. For that reason, I’m sure you can appreciate it’s better you don’t know where we are for now.”
The Hallucigenia Project Page 29