h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Chapter 8

Once the film was done, the "preparation" phase began: the flight's personal trainer led me to the rear of the plane, where a rowing machine was set up. "Your life is going to depend on your ability to maneuver a small boat across a raging vortex and between jagged rocks, any one of which could sink you," he began. "You are now going to row for an hour, while I give you expert advice on how to stay on course."

This exercise turned out to be exhausting in the extreme. My muscles were screaming with pain, I was sweating like a pig, and I felt betrayed by the promise of a posh flight that had suddenly morphed into a torture chamber. I begged for a chance to recover, but
found that this was just the first round. The trainer had me do rock-climbing for thirty minutes -- preparation for scaling the volcanic cone of the island I was heading for. Other exercises followed. "I congratulate you, Owen Bahama," the personal trainer said when this was over. "You are well on your way to being a seasoned explorer capable of surviving anywhere. By the time you get to the island, you will be ready for anything."

The masseur finally came back to get the soreness out of my muscles, after which I gladly risked a shot at the on-board bathtub and settled into the most luxurious bed I had ever seen.

I was just drifting off to sleep when I heard one of the flight attendants paging Amy. I opened one eye, and saw her going into the cockpit with the plane's doctor. A moment later, the pilot was taken out in a wheelchair. Amy saw that I had noticed this, so she came over and explained that a fast-acting virus had struck him, but that the co-pilot was still in fine shape.

An hour later, I awoke to discover that the co-pilot was indisposed as well. "Amy!" I exclaimed. "Who is flying the plane?"

"Relax, Mr. Bahama," one of the flight attendants said. "She's in the cockpit, but she's in contact with experts on the ground. She knows enough about flying to follow their instructions. Everything will be all right."

I tried to get back to sleep, but was startled awake by a loud bang and the unlikely sound of Amy cursing.

"We've lost one of the engines," the flight attendant explained. "Don't worry, the other two are enough to get us to our destination."

Then the lights on the plane flickered and died.

This is going well Paul. It is becoming a cliff-hanger---maybe you should take up screenwriting in your retirement.

Great reading Paul, I hope that the plane lands safely.

Chapter 9, which is already finished, will be pivotal . I'm now writing Chapter 10, which will introduce story elements that will dominate the rest of the story.

Thanks for the comments about screenwriting. I've been told that my stories would be easy to turn into screenplays. I "see" everything in my mind's eye, and enjoy panning in or out of or above each scene the way a camera would.

Now that's scary! Should've stayed out of the tub!

At last I have arrived. The usual excellent standard Paul. I do enjoy your stories, but even more fun is trying to work out how you are going to find an ending.

I don't have an exact ending yet, but the island in question will be such an amazing place that our narrator is going to be hard-pressed to leave it when he gets there. Naturally, I will find an easy way for him to return home, but I can't tell you what it is yet

[Amy P]