His heart was pounding, he could feel a cold trickle of sweat run down his back and shuddered. I just need to get to the airport he thought over and over, just get on first flight to New York grab what I need his thoughts full with his plans matching the speed of his car as it raced along the dark road. It was quiet with no traffic to impede him, he was glad of that. The moon was dim and seemed small and far away, the rain was persistant and had been a constant for days now, it had rained so much it felt like nothing would ever be dry again, even the clean clothes he had put on felt damp, almost sticky to the touch, he felt cold and clammy and nervous and there were no stars to be seen in the damp cloudy night.
The car flew to a halt and throwing open the door he jumped out and ran across the carpark, he cursed as he crashed through the sliding doors of the airport entrance, and panting loudly now as he tried to catch his breath he ran straight to terminal and was relieved there was no queue.
"Hello" he gasped at the woman.
The woman was short, blonde, carrying a little extra weight, was stood staring straight ahead.
"Hope I made it in time" he said more normally as his breathing settled.
The woman continued staring, her eyes glassy, there was no response, no recognition of him even being there.
"Hello? look I am trying to board flight 667 to New York, am I in time? Here I have my passport ready" he tried to give her his pasport and as he pushed it towards her she suddenly flickered into life.
"Which flight are you boarding sir?" the voice seemed odd, cold, rehearsed, he figured maybe she had said it so many times it was on automatic.
"Flight 667, I am going to New York" he repeated.
"I am afraid that flight has been cancelled sir" again the voice came back without any warmth and again he thought it seemed rehearsed.
"Cancelled? Is there any other flights going to New York?" he was puzzled, he hadn't looked at the flight boards but he was sure going to check them as soon as possible, to him it seemed that the woman had given the answer a little too quickly, he still had his passport held out in the hope she would quickly provide an alternative.
"All flights have been cancelled sir" the woman said mechanically.
"All flights? That's ridiculous! What's happened to cause full cancellation of all flights? What has there been a bomb hoax? What's going on?" he snapped at her.
"All flights are cancelled sir, you will find refreshments for sale in the new 'lifestyle' zone, directly to your right sir, have a good day sir" the voice now seemed to have a sing song quality, it lilted up and down as she held her plastic smile in place, her white teeth, shining and perfect, were bared in a grimace like smile, and her movements appeared rehearsed to robotic perfection as she turned and with a stiff movement of her hand indicated a gleaming new area that he swore there hadn't been the space before to put anything in.
He looked puzzled towards the fake haystack and checkered, plastic, picnic blanket sign, that joyously proclaimed in bright yellow and red letters that 'home prepared food and organic fruit juice' were for sale for the 'health conscious' traveller.
He looked back at the woman who was still staring glassy eyed straight ahead, at nothing in particular, he wanted to say something, he wanted to complain, it felt like he was trying to complain to a mechanoid.
His feet, without his recognition of having made the decision, began walking to the brightly lit eating area, the food was presented in a basket that had been made from cardboard, it was set against a cardboard backdrop of a field on a summers day, the scene resplendant in flowers and sunshine, rolling hills in the distance. The food itself was held in plastic baskets mean to resemble picnic baskets and was covered in fake hay straws and plastic berries, it seemed at odds with its advertising of being 'natural' goodness,
His eyes scanned the various packages and failed to find anything which convinced him that it was good to eat. With a sigh he wandered over to the flight boards. His mind was coming back into focus now, that was odd he thought I wasn't even hungry he shook his head, he couldn't work out why he had even gone to the new zone in the first place and he felt slightly groggy, as if he had just woken up. huh I wonder if thats how bad subliminal advertising has gotten now he thought with a shudder, had he been hypnotised into consuming? His thoughts shied away from the concept and he was now looking at the flightboards, which were stuck with one message displayed in large letters all flights delayed please ask information for latest developements
He grunted and he felt frustrated and unsure what to do next, after a moment or two he resigned himself to the idea of finding somewhere to rest and he found a seat in the waiting area and slid into it lost in his thoughts.
The airport was crowded with hurrying people, staff coped with stressed parents and impolite business men, he hadn't noticed any of it, he had stretched out the best he could over two of the chairs and drifted off.
Night came and felt as if it had stetched out endlessly, filled with fitful sleep and uncomfortable, half-remembered dreams. He felt like he had grown roots, it had been that long since he had arrived. As the sun rose weakly in the sky he had stumbled over and had checked the boards, and dissappointingly the same message remained. He had tried talking to another woman at the boarding area but the experience was eeerily similar to the blond woman from yesterday.
The morning had remained quite dark, the sky was still filled with clouds that still dumped their contents persistantly over the land, and he had lost track of the time, he was tired and trying to sleep again. The two chairs felt even more hard and lumpy than last night he thought, what day is it ? must be a sunday it's so quiet round here, only people I have seen is those weird women, they need to find better staff, ones that at least look human his thoughts grumbled on.
The thought persisted that no matter how annoying it was about delayed flights he was stuck here, it's ok he reminded himself, I'm still alright, they might be looking for me but they don't know where I am, soon as a flight comes in I will get on it, no matter where it goes, doesn't have to be New York, could be anywhere, just need to get away
He heard a sound, his mind hurriedly tried to identify it, a rustling, no, shuffling? he wondered and opened his eyes, looking around for the source of the noise his mind registered that the whole airport seemed empty, it wasn't just the lack of others like him who should ordinarily be trying to board or complaining about the delays, there was no staff either, no staff, no cleaners, no one, his mind jumped back to yesterday and he realised wherever he had gone there had been no one, except the two robot women, the eatery he had entered in a semi hypnotic state hadn't actually had any staff. maybe it was all automated he tried to reason, his eyes darted to the corner of a pillar by the escalator and he focused his attention there.
Nothing happened.
He kept looking expecting something to come from behind the pillar, still nothing and his neck hurt with the awkward position. He sat up and rubbed his face, trying to become more awake, why had he felt so exhausted since he got here? he wondered, he told himself it was just the stress draining him, he sat head resting in his hands and his panic began to rise. By now they would have discovered the body he thought and tried to mentally run through the procedure that ordinarily followed the discovery of a murder.
He figured he was still safe, they would probably be searching his home still, he knew it would take some time and smiled to himself as he pictured the police trying to enter any part of the house, even if they get in there's a few surprises waiting for them he gloated to himself.
He had lived a life of 'appreciating' he liked to call it, he appreciated what others didn't, he was proud of his collections, he was proud of his inventions, he was vastly over confident in proclaiming to any who would listen of how he was the best there was at recycling, no one could think of as many uses for household waste than he could, he had in fact chosen a life of isolation because he was much too intelligent for the local folk of his town, their inability to think outside the box annoyed him, and their complaints about his experiments had now cost him his home and all his work he thought bitterly.
be good for them really he carried on with his internal griping that child was part of a world changing experiment, they should be proud he had picked one of their children to become famous, they would all understand once they saw that the body was actually the by-product of the most paradigm shifting experiments in the history of mankind, once they observed the work he had done, he had left all his books, the computers, every bit of work from the last twenty three years, he felt his chest swell, he would dissappear for a while and then when the powers that be analyse the evidence it would be clear proof of his genius and he would be recognised, his mind was now showing him humbly receiving the nobel peace prize, 'the child is necessary, though the death regretful, however his family can take solace in his contribution to the future of the human race' he triumphantly recited his acceptance speech in his mind and drifting in and out of various imagined accolades he rested uneasily.
His half awake state briefly caught a movement in his peripheral vision, and once again he found himself looking at the pillar. For one brief moment he thought he saw something just edge round the pillar, he tried to focus his vision then decided to walk over.
He went to get up, that really hurts he thought and grunted in pain, he tried to simply adjust his position more upright must have stiffened up trying to sleep on these damn chairs he wanted to stand up but the best he could manage was sitting slumped in one of the chairs why am I so drained? he wondered he could hardly move and even the sitting up had left him literally feeling so weak all he could do was rest, he wondered if he had somehow caught a bug, strange though felt fine til I got here
Another night passed though he wasn't really aware of it, he was glad he had adopted the end chair to rest in, as at least he could see from here when anyone went to start queuing to board, strange how long this delay is going on for he thought still, must be safe, no police had stormed the airport, so may as well rest until the flights start again
He wanted to go shout at the woman he had seen yesterday, was it yesterday? He couldn't remember, there must be a flight by now he grumbled to himself and he tried to muster up the energy to go to the terminal. He wanted to find someone he could complain at, am I going to be stuck forever in this damn airport? he thought. and decided to rest a little longer, he was so tired.
"Excuse me, sir?"
The man seemed to be asleep.
"Excuse me sir! I am sorry to wake you but you are taking up too much space sir?" the woman was leaning quite close to the mans face trying to get a good look at it, this was difficult as the mans head was slumped over on his chest.
"Sir, if you could just move a little to the left then we could sit down ,as you can see we have been waiting here a while and the airport is so busy please? sir?" the woman looked distressed and she tried again "Sir?"
Her plaintive questions were not elliciting any response from the old man, his head slumped down and quite still as he slept,
"Hello my dear can I help?" asked the kindly looking security guard.
"Oh yes please, it's just so busy and my daughter and I have over an hour to wait for our flight these are the only two seats together but this gentleman is taking up half of one of them if he could just move a little then my daughter and I could sit together" the mum answered she was holding tight the hand of her young daughter and looked liked she badly needed a holiday.
The security looked at the old man.
"Sir?"
The man didn't respond.
"Sir? I am going to have to ask you to wake up sir, just need you to move a little bit sir, so the lady and her daughter can sit down" his voice was edged with authority, the security guard was now becoming a little irritated by the lack of acknowledgement and he moved closer and placed his hand gently on the mans shoulder, still no movment, the security guard began again.
"sir? sir?" and his grip tightened a little on the mans shoulder, without even thinking the security guard gently shook the mans shoulder hoping to wake him a little, the mans head lolled to one side then forwards again in a most unnatural way and his body crumpled forward sliding in an undignifed heap on the floor.
.
The lack of response from the crowd is sadly too common these days ran the small article tucked away on the local interest stories ran by the local free newspaper, the article outlining the tragic find of an old man, yet to be identified, in the airport went unread by most, in a world of digital entertainment bulging with the latest gruesome death of a young child, amid the frantic forums fighting over who was responsible no one ever looked at the local newspaper.
