“Every day is a busy day,” she snaps.
“I understand that. I purse my lips. She’s not going to give an inch. “Is it possible that you could hand me off to someone else, Karen? Can I talk to your supervisor?”
She hangs up on me.
Oh, well. I knew she wouldn't help me, anyhow. She was too high and mighty for that.
I call the other number, but there’s no answer, and I groan. I’m not getting anywhere with the government either, and the military already told me no.
Where does that leave me?
I eye the levitation device. I've tried to fiddle with it to make the wagon levitate again, but it's too light. My device is too powerful for something that weighs so little. In order to make the wagon lift, I would need an entirely new device, and I'm not going to worry about that because who wants a floating, hovering wagon? But this device doesn't just make things hover. No, this is levitation. This would mean flying cars. This would make it possible for the streets to be cleared of vehicles. We could build houses high up off the ground, allow nature to have the surface. We could live in a new age, one where we can prosper and be closer to the heavens versus the soil. Not that we don't need to be down here. Not that we would all have to live up high. We need crops and animals and food to eat that can only be had here. Well, we could maybe have farms up high above the Earth.
It’s fun to wonder and contemplate what my device could mean for the rest of the world, how it could radically change our way of life. The wildfires… They wouldn’t reach us if we lived up high. Natural disasters? Hurricanes, tornadoes… We would all be safely out of reach. There wouldn’t be any issues with congestion on the roads. None of that. We could go wherever we wanted in levitating vehicles.
The possibilities are limitless, and yes, I know I’m talking about a future that would take a lifetime to build. I realize and recognize that, but that future can start now. Why can’t the government and the military realize what a boon this is?
Well, fine. If my leaders won’t see this for what it is, then I’ll just have to go and find another leader who will.
My heart is in my throat as I conceal the levitation device. Where I’m going, I don’t need it. Not yet.
My heart pounds faster than my swift footsteps as I make my way to Rix’s spaceship. Along the route, I wonder and even fear that he left already. I haven’t seen him, and I haven’t wandered about town lately to know if the alien is still around. Would he leave without saying goodbye? Of course he would. We haven’t seen each other since I refused to sleep with him.
Finally, I arrive, and I grin to see that the spaceship is still here. I rush onto the ramp. “Rix?” I call.
But he doesn’t come out to greet me, doesn’t respond.
“Rix?”
I climb on board and do a quick search. The Kurian isn’t here.
I've come too far now to back down, so I head to the cockpit and examine the dashboard. There must be a way to communicate with those on Kuria, more than just through the chips in their heads.
Eventually, I find a manual. It’s clearly meant to teach others how to pilot, and it looks well read. There are notes in the margin, and I flip through until I find a labeled picture of the dashboard.
Ah, here we go. Just what I need.
I find the button and press and wait.
“Hello? Rix, what is the problem?” a smooth, deep voice asks.
“Ah, hello? Hi, this is Ava.”
“Ava? Who are you?”
“Ava.” I grin even though there’s no holographic image so he can’t see me and I can’t see him.
“Ava, touch the blue button next to the one you pressed to make this call and then pull down on the black lever.”
I do as the alien commands, and now, there is a holographic image of a tall Novan who is even more muscular than Rix. Surprised, I jerk back.
“Ava, I am Overlord Nestrol,” he states.
I blink a few times. “Oh, wow. Um, great. You’re just the Novan I wanted to talk to.”
“Is everything all right?”
“Yes. I’m just nervous.”
“Is everything all right with Rix?”
"Oh, yes. Rix is fine. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you about him. He's, ah, off somewhere. Eating. I just didn't want to wait until he returned to talk to you."
“About?” The image is clear. Although the alien is a bluish light form, I can clearly see amusement in his eyes. The details are incredible, and I can’t help wondering how they’re able to accomplish such a feat in technology. He’s on a planet that’s an entire day’s length of travel away, yet I can see him perfectly, even watch as muscles flex as he places his hands on his hips.
“I need to talk to you about a prototype I have,” I explain. “It’s still in development, being a prototype, but it works. I can demonstrate it to you if you were here, and I would love to do so in person.”
“Just what can this prototype do?” he asks.
“It can make a centuricmobile levitate.”
“Levitate? How high?”
“How high would you want it to levitate?” I ask, lifting my chin.
“A bold claim.”
“I’ve already levitated a centuricmobile.”
“Have you?”
“Yes. I can do it again and take footage of it this time. I’m sure we can find a way to transmit it to you, but I would love for you to come here and see the device in person.”
“As intriguing as that sounds, unfortunately, I cannot leave Kuria at the moment. I would like to see this footage, however. It would be nice to have levitating centuricmobiles.”
“Just think about the possibilities of what it could mean for Kuria, what levitating vehicles will do,
