My Journal: The Cicuta Trip

Chapter 3: Folding

[WAITING ROOM, HWAL (TAU CETI) FPS] Weller got this viz when we were coming into the Sun FoldPoint Station.
We were incredibly lucky to see one of the Folders' great Sailing Vessels moored there.

Well, we're finally at Tau Ceti. I'm still a little dizzy from folding here, but I'll try to tell you about it. When we arrived at Sun FPS, there was much MINwork dealing with documents (no running around this time), then a long wait (some problem with the ChamberPackers.) Finally MIN indicated it was time to go to our FoldChamber

    I'm sure you've read about how they put you in a container for species about your size, along with your baggage. Our container was pretty nice, say about 3.5m x 4m x 2.75m. It was well lit; this helps with the claustropobia —there were some sedated passengers in stacked-up beds on the right with an attendant. In addition, there were the three of us, four others, and some cargo in the corner that bellowed occasionally.

     I talked to the attendant. He had found this to be a great way to get around, once you managed to get your license. I wanted to find out more about his adventures, but one of his charges was beeping and he had to go see what the problem was.

     The Gigger was still with us, returning to his family after setting up neurays in the Jupiter system. Couldn't understand why we hadn't done more out there. 

    Lastly, a salesman and a young couple.
     The salesman, a middle-aged Earthan, was trying to sell Taco franchises on other FPS. The Sun FPS store had proved popular to many peoples— once that little problem was solved with the slogan "You Eat It!"
     Couldn't tell too much about the young couple. At least I think they were a couple—about the same size and quite "into" each other. Ignored us completely.

     Once all the various FoldChambers were loaded and sealed and we were seated in ours atop our luggage (soft is good), we folded. Folding takes no time, just a kind of jolt when your body feels the new electromagnetic-gravitational environment. So here I am back in the Tau Ceti system, or as they call it, Hwal.

Oops, gotta run—Weller's waving frantically. He must have found the DownChute to our gate.