Mindwarp

by James Follett

  But the light didn’t go out when he rose. He touched the call panel, not expecting anything to happen. The elevator responded by humming quite loudly for several moments. There were multiple metallic clunks of safety interlocks being released, and the concertina doors slid open. Normally Jenine hated lifts, but this one was a large, brightly-lit car that could comfortably hold a 100 people. They grabbed the holdall and the coiled rope, and entered.

  “Maybe you disturbed something when you pulled it apart?” Jenine commented, looking curiously around.

  The control panel showed that there was one level above them. It was marked “Station’.

  “Station?” Ewen queried. “Surely the station is at the lowest level?”

  “Don’t argue with it,” Jenine advised. “I’m sure it knows more about the layout of this weird place than we do.”

  It seemed sensible advice so Ewen touched the pad. The doors closed. The car jerked upwards, hummed briefly, stopped, and the doors opened again.

  They stepped out of the elevator into a well-lit but tiny end of the line station. They regarded the passenger capsule with suspicion. It was large - a hundred-seater unit very similar to the chord-metro passenger capsules in Arama. Its sliding doors were open, its interior lights bright and inviting. The mag-lev system was not energized so that the capsule was sitting on the rails with its nose almost touching the blind end of its tunnel. There was only one track.

  “Well, wherever we are, we’re at the end of the line,” Jenine remarked.

  “Or the beginning of the line,” Ewen reminded her. “Lateral thinking was never your strong point, Jenine. So what do we do now? This all looks a bit too convenient. A lift that suddenly works; a train lit-up with its doors open.”

  Jenine answered the question by stepping aboard and plonking herself down in a seat near the door. She gave Ewen a withering look. “Positive action was never your strong point, Ewen.”

  Ewen sat beside her. “I was about to suggest that we looked for a map of this line.”

  “Ewen - just for once, forget about your stupid maps and plans. Sooner or later, this train is going to go somewhere.”

  It was sooner.

  The doors slid shut and the car lifted off the tracks as power flowed through its linear motors. It slipped smoothly into its tunnel and accelerated rapidly. Jenine nudged Ewen and pointed. At the end of the capsule a destination sign proclaimed:

  NEXT STATION - DNS D - JOURNEY TIME 1.55.

  The train gave no indication of slowing down. A brief flash of lights and a glimpse of a deserted platform. The sign changed:

  NEXT STATION - DNS E - JOURNEY TIME 3.30.

  Another fleeting glimpse of a platform. By now the capsule was rocketing through its tunnel at a phenomenal speed, much faster than even the Araman chord-metro non-stop expresses. As if acting independently of their owners, Ewen’s and Jenine’s hands sought each other’s company.

  NEXT STATION - CHALLENGER THREE PROTOTYPE RECREATION CENTRE. JOURNEY TIME 10.45.

  “What’s a Challenger Three?” Jenine queried.

  Ewen fished out the datapad. It proved useless. He tried entering estimates of the distance they had travelled and gave up. The train slowed slightly although there was still five-minutes journey time left. And then they both realised why. The capsule was doing what none of the metros ever did:

  It was climbing a steep gradient.

  After two minutes uphill climb, Ewen and Jenine looked at each other in mounting apprehension. There was nothing to be said; each was aware of the other’s thoughts: if the blue dome extended this far out, then they had to be very close to it by now.

  The digits on the journey time indicator registered a row of zeros just as the train lost speed and hissed into the station. It was the end of the line. There were six blind platforms. Power was reversed through the mag-lev motors for smooth braking, and the capsule settled on the tracks.

  “Journey’s end,” said Ewen unnecessarily, standing. He slung the holdall and the cumbersome coils of rope from his shoulder.

  “Do we need to lug that rope around anymore?” Jenine asked.

  “It’s brought us luck.”

  The doors opened and they stepped onto the platform. It was similar to an Araman chord-metro terminus except all the platforms were deserted, and the curved roof was much lower. The air had a musty scent as though it had not been circulated through air-conditioners for many years. The strip lights were still brightening as if they had only just been switched on.

  They walked onto the small concourse that spanned the blind ends of the platforms and looked for displays or maps that might indicate where the other lines went, but there were none. The only passenger indicator was a flashing arrow pointing to a subway. There was no other obvious exit so Ewen and Jenine followed it. At the end of the short tunnel was an escalator. They stood staring at it for some moments, noting how the steps materialised out of the ground and that the speed of the moving handgrip seemed to be synchronized with the speed of the treads.

  “I think it’s friendly,” said Jenine, and stepped onto the rising treads.

  Ewen followed. It wasn’t so different from the travelators although they both agreed that the sensation of travelling up and along at the same time was weird.

  As the steps flattened out, so the splendour of the huge hall unfolded before them. It was as dramatic a method of arrival as it was possible to imagine. They stepped off the escalator and stood at the top of the moving stairs, clutching their belongings protectively to themselves, while gazing around in awe.

  11.

  The hall they were standing in was about the size of one of the smaller domes in the Centre, but there the similarity ended. The entire area was filled with amusement devices and machinery on a scale they found hard to accept. There were amusement centres in Arama, mostly for children, but nothing as big as this. Here the strict rules about the conservation of space, that most valuable of the GoD’s gifts, were ignored. There were rides ranging from children’s carousals to a towering Ferris wheel, rows of silent sideshows shrouded in gaudy striped material of every conceivable clashing colour, and open-sided canopies over clusters of strange arcade machines. At the edge of the dome was the trackway of a roller coaster, humping, twisting, looping, and doubling back on itself around the periphery like a monster serpent.

  The couple crossed to the octopus ride and gaped in wonder at the huge span of its drooping arms.

  Jenine gripped Ewen’s arm and pointed to the pay booth where a man in brightly-coloured party makeup and wearing a baggy, bright crimson fun suit was sitting. They went closer and discovered that he was an animatron. His fixed, leering smile and glassy stare was determined by the settings of the facial muscle motors beneath his artificial skin when he had been switched off.

  “He’s good,” said Jenine, looking closely at the man. “Much more advanced than our animatrons.

  Ewen agreed. They had unconsciously decided that the people who had built this bizarre place were very different from their fellow citizens.

  From the octopus they moved to the guard rail of a crazy, loop-the-loop ride and marvelled at the convoluted route of the tubular rails. They followed the guard rail until they came to the station where the low, bullet-shaped ride cars were sitting in an orderly line. An animatron was in the frozen attitude of checking the safety restraints of non-existent passengers in the first car.

  His companion caused Ewen and Jenine to stop and stare. The lanky animatron was standing by the pay booth, his face deathly white. His cheeks had been rouged with blotches of bright crimson. His nose was a grotesque scarlet sphere that appeared to have been stuck over his real nose. His leering smile had been painted on, his eyebrows were bold arches of black to create an expression of perpetual surprise. Doleful red diamonds around his eyes conveyed sorrow and pathos. He wore a conical white hat and white gloves, and his sequined glitter suit was fastened with a row of absurd fluffy white buttons.

  Ewen was keen to
inspect the big wheel. As they moved on to pass the apparition, Jenine froze.

  “Ewen! He winked!”

  “Don’t be silly. Everything’s switched off.”

  “I tell you he winked!” Jenine insisted. She marched over to the strange figure and was about to jab it when it swept off its hat and gave a jerky low bow, revealing a dome-like polished bald pate that was surrounded by a brush-like fringe of ridiculous black hair that stuck straight out.

  “I am the clown of the amusement park,” said the figure in a high-pitched, squeaky voice. “I am the host to all our honoured visitors. Ask and you shall be informed.” He straightened and replaced his hat, his glassy eyes staring straight ahead.

  The couple stared, dumfounded at the animatron.

  “I am the clown of the amusement park,” the figure repeated, and went through the exaggerated bow again. This time his movements had lost their jerkiness, as though mechanisms that had remained immobile for years had regained a natural fluidity. “I am your most honoured host, kind sirs.”

  The animatron fell silent and his face became immobile. The lugubrious eyes seemed to stare through the couple.

  Ewen found his voice. “What is this place?”

  “The amusement park, kind sir.”

  “What’s it for?”

  “It’s for the edification of travellers and the enjoyment of children through the long years, kind sir. And their children. And their children’s children, to the ends of the universe and the end of time. All rides guaranteed to thrill but not to harm. The Tower of Dreams and Delight and Discovery is recommended for those with faint hearts who need time to adjust to our thrills and spills, honorable sir.” The clown lapsed into silence again.

  “How can we ride on anything when everything is switched off?” Ewen queried, not really believing that this conversation was taking place.

  The clown’s despairing gesture of smacking his forehead with the heel of his palm caused both of them to forget the bizarre situation and laugh. “Forgive me, kind sir. I’m forgetting myself. It’s been so long. Wait…! Watch…!”

  The entire amusement park suddenly came to life. Strange, piping music blared, and myriads of coloured lights that decorated the rides began sequential flashing to heighten the impression of movement. The octopus started turning, lifting its arms; an empty roller coaster roared by overhead, and the Ferris wheel turned - patterns of lights racing back and forth along its giant spokes.

  “All the rides are free, honorable sir,” squeaked the clown, waving his conical hat around. “But try the Tower of Dreams and Delight and Discovery.” His thin voice was barely audible above the music and uproar that was steadily increasing in volume.

  “Where is it!” Jenine yelled.

  “Follow your dream, honorable sirs. Follow your dream.”

  “Where’s the outdoors!” Ewen demanded, yelling above the mounting cacophony.

  “We don’t have such a ride, honorable sir.”

  “It’s not a ride!” Ewen shouted. “It’s a huge blue dome!”

  “All rides guaranteed to thrill but not to harm. The Tower of Dreams and Delight and Discovery is recommended for those with faint hearts who need time to adjust to our thrills and spills, honorable sir.”

  “Where’s the outdoors?”

  The octopus whirred and the big wheel spun faster.

  “WHERE’S THE OUTDOORS!” Ewen screamed.

  But the clown merely repeated in its squeaky voice that was now nearly drowned out, “It’s for the edification of travellers and the enjoyment of children through the long years, kind sir. And their children. And their children’s children, to the ends of the universe and the end of time. All rides guaranteed to thrill but not to harm. The Tower of Dreams and Delight and Discovery is recommended for those with faint hearts who need time to adjust to our thrills and spills, honorable sir.”

  Ewen grabbed the clown by its ludicrous suit. He shook it, and would have hit it had Jenine not dragged him away. “Leave it!” she cried. “It’s an animatron, you idiot!”

  The arms of the octopus extended until they were flashing low over their heads. The crazily strobing lights on the arms burned vivid coloured arcs on their retinas. The wind from the passage of the whirling passenger capsules whipped at them. The deafening honking music smashed at their senses.

  “Let’s get away from here!” Jenine cried.

  They ran, stooping low to escape the flailing arms of the maddened octopus, and had to leap aside where the roller coaster swooped low and seemed to hurl straight at them. The insane music became a mind-shredding, numbing roar that made rational thought impossible. They blundered into a sideshow.

  “Roll up! Roll up!” screamed a glassy-eyed barker. “See the six-armed monster! See the man-woman! See the two-headed baby! See Iron Stomach Ivan eating glass! Roll up! Roll up! Roll up!”

  Suddenly they were surrounded by marching animatrons in bright uniforms, their blaring brass instruments adding to the nightmare. They cannoned off the stiff-marching soldiers. Jenine clutched her ears as a pounding kettle drum pushed her aside. She groaned in terror and would have sank to her knees had Ewen not grabbed her and snatched her clear. A message jumped out of the kaleidoscope of whirling images:

  TOWER OF DREAMS AND DELIGHT AND DISCOVERY!

  The sign was picked out in dancing, flashing letters at the base of circular structure. Ewen forced himself to concentrate and saw the letters constantly rearranging themselves to spell out different messages.

  TOWER OF DREAMS AND DELIGHT AND DISCOVERY!

  THIS WAY FOR YOUR TRIP TO HEAVEN!

  They staggered towards the building. A small opening in its base seemed to offer a beckoning sanctuary from the hellish bedlam of the amusement park. They stumbled through the light-polarizing doorway and found themselves in semi-darkness and a sudden, merciful silence. They clung tightly to each other for mutual assurance until they realised that the torment really had ended.

  “Well,” said Jenine, recovering her senses. “Whoever thought of this as an amusement park had a particularly warped sense of humour.”

  Whatever they were in, it was lit by soft overhead lights that imparted a red glow. As Ewen’s eyes adjusted to the gloom, he could discern a waiting ride train that consisted of brightly-coloured, two-seater car pods strung together like beads on a garish necklace. The shaped seats looked comfortable and inviting. There were similar rides in Arama although none were as elaborate as this. “Did you make out anything of the outside of this place?” he asked.

  “Some sort of tower that seemed to reach the top of the dome,” said Jenine shakily. “But I didn’t get a good look.”

  “Please take your seats, crewmen,” said a polite male voice. “There are others waiting.”

  “Crewmen?” Jenine queried. “What does crewman mean?”

  Ewen looked anxiously at the lead car. Beyond it he could see the faint gleam of tubular rails that seemed to curve upwards into the unknown. He decided that anything with rails in this amusement park was not to be trusted.

  “Please take your seats, crewmen,” the voice repeated. “There are others waiting.”

  “What shall we do?” Ewen asked.

  Jenine stepped into the lead car and sat. “I’ve no idea what will happen or where this thing will take us,” she said resolutely. “But nothing can be as bad as out there. Come on. Don’t keep the other crewmen waiting.”

  Ewen dropped the holdall and the rope in the car’s footwell and sat beside her.

  “In future,” said Jenine acidly, “I suggest you don’t talk to strange animatrons in funny suits.”

  “You were the one the thing winked at,” Ewen reminded her.

  “It winked at both of us. It’s just that I’m more observant than you and happened to see it.”

  The beginnings of their dispute was interrupted by padded shoulder and waist restraints swinging automatically into position.

  “First the voyage of discovery,” said the voice. It added o
minously, “Do not be alarmed, crewmen; you cannot possibly fall out of your seat.”

  The car started moving. The pods were mounted on gimbals so that the seats remained level while the car climbed the steep, almost invisible rails. It gathered speed. They entered a tunnel, making Jenine regret her impulsiveness, and continued climbing. Rings of light projected onto the walls of the tunnel swept towards them, giving an illusion of increasing speed.

  “Our voyage of discovery will take us to the most distant regions of the heavens, fellow crewmen,” said the voice. “It will be a long trip, so just relax and enjoy the journey…”

  “Did you notice he said “heavens”, plural?” Jenine’s whisper betrayed her fear of being in a confined space. “What do you suppose that means?”

  “I shouldn’t read anything into it, crewman,” Ewen answered. “It’s only a ride.”

  “I think this whole thing is something more than a huge amusement park,” said Jenine worriedly. “There was that sign at the station. Challenger. Prototype. Challenging what?”

  “Our patience?” Ewen suggested.

  “It’s certainly challenging my claustrophobia,” Jenine muttered apprehensively.

  The lights became a blur as they raced towards the couple. Ewen twisted his shoulder out of its padded restraint and touched the side of the tunnel to reassure himself that they were travelling slowly. To his surprise, they were moving quite fast. Even more surprising, his fingertips encountered what felt like rock. He wished he had taken a good look at the outside of the tower to determine its height before seeking refuge in its depths.

  The seats levelled out and, without warning, all the lights went out and the car stopped. They waited for something to happen. It was a situation they were familiar with. Near the Centre was a children’s amusement park whose rides broke down frequently, requiring the attentions of technician-students.

  “Maybe it’s part of the ride,” Ewen suggested when Jenine began to fret after five minutes. “Sensory deprivation.”

  “Don’t be absurd,” she retorted in the darkness, her voice sounding unnaturally strained. “Why don’t you use your prized lateral thinking, Ewen? A speed illusion has been used so far. The last thing you’d want to do on a ride is deliberately switch off all the effects and wreck the illusion. Something’s gone wrong.”