Jake’s heart thumped heavily in his chest. He looked around wide-eyed and brimming with excitement. He inspected the metallic beast surrounding him. Buttons, dials, knobs scattered the area--all different colours, some with symbols, others issuing readings and measurements. It was all Greek to him. But it didn’t matter, for Jake was more concerned with English. He patted the books on his lap impatiently, and looked at the screen on his wrist. The only one he could understand. It read 06:59:42. It was almost time. Jake readied himself. He rifled through his books, settling on one, then placing the rest on the floor. Satisfied, Jake leaned back in his seat, put in his earbuds, and turned on his “Lo-Fi Hip Hop” playlist. Then he heard a voice over the intercom. “All systems ready. 3… 2… 1...”
The machine roared. The whole room rumbled, and Jake felt like he was being pushed through to the other side of his seat. He dug his fingers into the sides of his book, partly nervous, but mostly eager. It wouldn’t be much longer.
...
...
...
Soon enough the fierce roar turned to a moderate hum. The oppressive weight that had shoved Jake into the back of his chair dissipated. In fact, Jake didn’t feel much of anything; he was weightless. Finally, he opened his book and began to read. Jake was entranced almost immediately. The words tunnelled through his earbuds’ plastic wires and travelled directly into his brain, pleasantly mixing with the soft hip hop in the process. The soft braying of the spacious machine gently kneaded Jake’s back. He’d read on public transit plenty of times before, but this trip was like no other. This time, the destination was also the experience. He could be alone with his thoughts without a care in the world. It was heaven in space.
...
...
...
Nearly ten hours later, Jake turned the final page, triumphant. A stack of books lay beside him. A sudden pang of hunger broke Jake from his zen-like state. He reckoned he’d had enough. Cutting through the silence, Jake cleared his throat and croaked, “Okay, we can go back down, Mr. Bezos.”
— by Jake Roseman