Dreamland

Fantasy Isn't Free

I'm flying again tonight in Dreamland.
Soaring with back arched, arms outstretched, over what appears to be the Grand Canyon. It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining, the sky is blue with little fluffy clouds. There's nothing quite like the freedom of flight...

There's a man and a woman also out flying today, younger than me, maybe mid thirties, in much better physical shape than I am. They're diving to gain speed, swooping dangerously low over the canyon walls, then climbing swiftly back up above the rim. They repeat the process again and again, laughing and enjoying the adrenaline rush each time.

I'm flying more conservatively, catching a thermal, spiraling up high above the canyon, then slowly gliding down, just enjoying the day.

The couple climbs above the rim after their latest dive and glides over towards me as I am descending. The man shouts out to me above the wind "Come on, follow us! Push yourself a little!" And they both tuck into a dive for the canyon.

I know I am an experienced flier, so I take them up on their challenge. I follow them and fold my arms and dive headfirst at breakneck speed into the canyon, stretching out at last minute to end the dive and skim the canyon floor, then swoop skyward, climbing to a stall above the canyon rim, diving again to repeat the process. The experience is totally exhilarating!

After a few more dives, my companions land on a bluff. "Come on, lets go for a few more!" I call out.

"Sorry, we have to go back to work!" the man calls back. Then they fade from view, turning invisible.

I land on the bluff where they disappeared, wondering what to do next. I hear a voice that says "Your time is up, time to come back!"

"What if I don't want to, what if I just decide to take off and keep on flying!" I reply.

"You won't be able to fly, you'll crash! Your time is up!" the voice says.

I realize it's true...

I close my eyes for a few seconds then open them. I find myself sitting in a comfortable reclining chair. A man standing next to me is pulling an IV needle from my arm and removing a helmet with cables attached to it from my head.

"Couldn't you have given me a few more minutes?" I ask the tech.

"You know the rules, time only for time paid," he replies.

I walk out of the VR lounge and back onto the crowded dirty streets of our fair city...

Oh well, at least they told us a new contract was signed back at the factory. I should have some overtime starting this week. Maybe I'll make enough to pay for an extra hour of flight time next weekend.