Slightly Slanted Spaces
a Saturday morning [excerpt].
The Velvet Electric
It is a sight to behold. The streamliner gleams with greens and blues, tinges of purple in an iridescent splendor. Not quite like a snake, nor fish. No, it resembles something somewhere in between and around itself. An ouroboros of prehistoric and mythical proportions with all the glitter and advancement of the new age. Accents of silver on its pointed scaled exterior. Thousands upon thousands of carefully placed scales decorate the machine. Each window is a golden yellow-orange, oblong and almond-shaped. Eyes piercing the landscape. As you look out, it does too.
There are deliberate, but delicate, separations in the cars. You wouldn’t know unless you see it at an angle. Accordions of metal structure, agile and light, letting the movement sway in anticipation of the tracks. Gliding along, adjusting as it needs to, the creature’s spine tapers off like a tail. Armored, like the nose. A slight upturn in the front, and a downturn in the back. Magnificent.
By all obvious accounts, this is a feat of modern engineering. A transport both capable of land and sea travel at its fastest, most efficient incarnation. Artistic in its blasphemy. One crack in the shell, one tiny fracture, is all it would take. Yet, we pile en route, outright. We flock to potentially drown—an expensive death, no less. Still, it is sublime. Surely, it’s monstrous.
Walking alongside it, I feel small. Not a horrible feeling, to release responsibility. I’m not in control here. My path is up to someone else now.
Someone to conduct what is best.
Suddenly, that comfort disappears.
A futile worry now, I suppose. I come up to my car, number seventy-seven, and round the steps.
The inside drama of draping would tame any writhing, weary heart. It is beyond what I have ever seen in terms of luxury. Plush velvet adorns sharp geometric furniture. Exquisite opalescent tiles and Persian rugs guide your path from corridor to corridor. Warm, dark wood swallows you whole with a glass of bubbles on a side table. You are welcomed with open arms on your journey.
Captain’s loudspeaker.
“ATTENTION ALL PASSENGERS, WE ARE DUE FOR DEPARTURE IN THE QUARTER OF AN HOUR. THE TIME IS NOW 4:01PM COASTAL METRICS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO OPEN THE WINDOWS ONCE WE ARE SUBMERGED IN APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR. THE BAR CORRIDOR IS LOCATED IN CARS 45-85. THE DINING CORRIDOR IS LOCATED IN CARS 95-125. FAST TRAVEL CHUTES ARE ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STREAMLINER. PLEASE DO NOT USE IF YOU ARE EXPECTING, DIABETIC, CLAUSTROPHOBIC, OR SENILE. COMMUNITY CARS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SERVICE FROM BAR CARS AND DINING CARS 7AM-12PM. IF YOU REQUIRE ASSISTANCE, SIMPLY PRESS THE CALL BUTTON ON YOUR TICKET, OR ON YOUR BEDSIDE TABLE. AS ALWAYS THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING INERTIA INTERNATIONAL INLINES FOR YOUR TRAVEL NEEDS. WE DISEMBARK IN TWELVE MINUTES.”
A different voice comes over the loudspeaker.
“Attention all passengers, please be advised that there are still upsets in the sixth and seventeenth corridors of the Atlantic. This will affect our travel time by FORTY-EIGHT MINUTES. Please do not attempt to open the windows once we are submerged. You will find all safety protocols downloaded onto your ticket. Should you have any questions or concerns, please press the call button located on your ticket or on your bedside table. If you require further assistance with dining options, refreshment options, laundry options, storage options, childcare options, entertainment options, connection options, network and communication options, observation options, or general questions, please do not hesitate to ask. We are here to make your journey as optimally optional as possible. Inertia International Inlines is proud to offer a host of the newest and most exciting technology for your travel needs. Please be advised, our automated Fast Travel Chute does not pair well with the listed medical conditions on your ticket. Instead, please take advantage of our Inertia International Inlines Original Serpentine Timely Tiles Travel System. Please do not attempt to open the windows once we are submerged. Thank you again, we depart in three, two, one…”