The Insane Journey

Chapter 41

 In the uncertain wee hours of the morning, Lucy awoke naked and tangled up in the duvet. The previous day’s events fluttered across her mind like autumn leaves on a windy day. She was conflicted. She was hurt by Judith’s sudden departure, but could not help but also to feel a sense of freedom – like those leaves no longer tied to their trees. This was a sensation she knew all too well. She had a tendency to jump too quickly into a relationship, only to be surprised at the exhilaration she sometimes felt when the relationship died. Nevertheless, this was one of the shortest-lived relationships she had ever had – discounting her apparent recent propensity for one-night stands.

 Then there was Legna. It was hard to think clearly about her – almost as if Lucy had been stoned or something, but she had not touched recreational drugs since university and even then had not done a lot. She valued her mind too much to want to mess with it.

 She wondered if Legna had slipped her something – not that it would have been necessary. The woman was good looking, charming and a hell of a seductress. There was no denying that the previous afternoon she had enjoyed the best sex in her life. But she also felt funny, unsettled by it – almost violated, in the same way she had felt in school when a boy tried to put his hand in her pants way too early in the dating game. But where the boy’s hand was unwanted and inappropriate, Legna’s seduction was scrumptious.

 “Ah, you are awake, Dr Heisenberg,” said a matronly voice.

 “Fuck,” said Lucy, scrambling – or at least attempting to scramble – up and wrapping the duvet around her chest. She squinted around the darkened room, but did not see anyone.

 “Who are you? What are you doing in my room?” she asked.

 “I am an electronic agent projected by your tablet. On behalf of the Zargonian Mission in Brussels, I would like to communicate with you.”

 Lucy switched on the reading lamp by her bed and saw a matronly woman standing in the middle of the room. Looking closely, she could see the woman looked more nebulous than the average matronly woman. She was not real, but a projection.

 Nevertheless, Lucy did not feel at ease sitting on her bed, wrapped in a duvet and looking, she was sure, dishevelled. On the other hand, she knew it would be silly to excuse herself, comb her hair and put on some clothes, as much as she wanted to do so.

 “Yes. What do you wish to communicate with me?” she asked instead.

 “The Zargonian Mission requests an appointment with you as soon as possible in order to discuss the tear in the fabric of the universe.”

 Lucy considered this for a moment, and a short moment at that. She had been dumped by her girlfriend, seduced by a strange woman she’d probably never see again, was naked in a hotel in Crashsite and lacked transportation. A free flight out of her current situation seemed an awfully good idea.

 “I assume the Zargonia Mission will provide aeroplane tickets and accommodation in Brussels,” said Lucy.

 “A Zargonian flyer is parked in the field adjacent to the hotel car park. It will take you directly to the Mission. Afterwards, the Mission will arrange transportation back here, to Cape City or anywhere else. A five-star hotel room near the Mission will also be provided for the duration of your stay.”

 “Not bad,” said Lucy. “When do we leave?”

 “As soon as you are ready. There is breakfast for you on the flyer if you’d like.”

 “Yes, that would be lovely. Give me fifteen minutes to shower and get ready, please.”

 “Very good. I will communicate with the Mission. Thank you.” The matronly woman disappeared.

 Lucy showered, dressed and collected her things. She put Judith’s belongings into her suitcase, wrote “help yourself to any or all of this” on a piece of hotel stationary and left it on the younger woman’s bag. Hopefully, the maid would find some of her ex-lover’s stuff useful.

 Downstairs, it took a moment before a sleepy young man appeared at the desk to check Lucy out. Country hotels are not used to guests leaving at four in the morning. Nevertheless, he was polite and professional.

 Walking out of the hotel, she saw the flyer standing on three extended feet on a field next to the hotel. It was a metallic and bulbous vehicle that looked like a caricature of an overweight fish. A side door was open and light shone out.

 Lucy walked over to the flyer and peered in. There was a sofa against one wall, four seats around a table and two more seats facing forward. However, there was no evidence of the pilot – which seemed strange. The hotel lobby had been empty, aside from her and the receptionist.

 “Hello?” she called hesitantly.

 “Hello,” said a soft, feminine voice from within the flyer.

 “Where are...” Lucy started to ask, before she realised that the flyer lacked a cockpit. It must fly itself, she thought.

 “Could you please repeat your question?” asked the flyer.

 “Never mind. I am ready to go.”

 “Then please enter the flyer, take a seat and fasten your seatbelt, Dr Heisenberg,” said the flyer.

 “Okay, thanks.” said Lucy, choosing one of the chairs at the table. As the door closed, she realised there were no windows, which was a claustrophobia-inducing thought, to say the least.

 “Would you like a forward view?” the flyer asked as Lucy was getting worked up by the lack of windows.

 “Oh, yes, please,” said Lucy.

 Suddenly, the front half of the egg-shaped cabin seemed to become transparent.

 “Flight time to Brussels will be 38 minutes. Please fasten your seatbelt and we will take off. Once we’re levelled off, you may help yourself to coffee, tea and breakfast from the kitchenette.” A cabinet on the wall at the back of the cabin lit up briefly.

 The flyer rose straight upwards to 12,000 metres, levelled off, then shot forward suddenly. Although Lucy felt some weight from the acceleration, it was not as much as she would have expected.

 “We are cruising. Please feel free to help yourself to breakfast at any time. There are a collection of films available should you wish entertainment. The toilet is at the rear of the flyer.”

 Lucy helped herself to a cappuccino and a croissant. She sat in one of the seats facing forward and thought about the past few days while watching the sky whiz past. The 38 minutes were hardly sufficient for the purpose, and before she knew it, the flyer was landing.