Destination Required

A Fantasy Flash Fiction.

Nurnest Sarwald left his habitation pod just before the second moon dipped below the sea of flowing sand.

The reddish glow of morning's first light assaulted Nurnest's eyes, so he dawned his ultraviolet nomadic shied. Then he reached out with his longest-armed pincer and attached himself to the nearest transportation sphere.

It was just another sun-cycle day on the planet of Gar, and Nurnest had nothing to do for the duration.

"Destination required is the question being asked," said a voice from within the brightly colored transportation sphere.

Nurnest began to glow and his surface color changed. The colors ran wild through every possible spectrum imaginable.

When the changing colors stopped, he stated, "I am without employment or purpose for this sun-cycle, so allow me to detach in a willy-dilly fashion. You understand, as a festive mood strikes upon my being."

The voice from the sphere made a rumbling sound for a time, then stated, "Random detachment acceptable, Willy-Dilly mode set and locked in. Enjoy your holiday.

Nurnest hung from the balloon-like object for an extended amount of time. As if asleep with his eyes open, as if dreaming a dream for the day, he hung there, all alone.

Nurnest was enjoying the panoramic views of the volcanic river flows, the occasional asteroid crossing the horizon, and the ever majestic saber-toothed mountains.

Then, as they say, "All good things must come to an end," and so it did on this occasion when another passenger attached to the same sphere.

Nurnest is an easy-going kind of Garthian, so he greeted the new arrival with a joyous, "Ben-ollah."

Then he stated, "In earnest I am Nurnest! And what might your verbal identification be?"

A look-alike female version of Nurnest replied, "I am called Wilhelmina Quinteena. I am the transportation allotment coordinator for this quadrant. And it has been noted on my interface that you have no destination plan, instead, you have chosen the Willy-Dilly Mode. That was very bold of you."

A three-pronged data reception antenna came out of Nurnest's head and began spinning around, and its sound was much like the sound of an empty juice blender in mixing mode.

Then Nurnest replied, "I am in the process of sightseeing!

I must ride this transportation sphere in order to sight-see and once I have sight-seed enough, then I shall know where my destinations shall be."

Wilhelmina Quinteena stated rather matter-ah-factually, "So, it is just as reported. As brave as it may be, you are riding without a destination being given. Unfortunately, even someone as handsome as you may not ride without a destination being given. You see, the Willy-Dilly Mode is no longer an acceptable option. I am afraid that you must detach your attachment, or suffer the consequences."

Again the three-pronged data reception antenna surfaced from Nurnest's head. Its sound was different during this deployment, it went, {"cur-plunk-ity, cur-plunk-ity, wiz, burp!"}, and then it folded up and disappeared into its storage compartment.

That is when Nurnest replied, "The Transportation Sphere to which I am attached granted this attachment and stated, "Random detachment acceptable, Willy-Dilly mode set and locked in. Enjoy your holiday."

Now you, the extremely alluring Wilhelmina Quinteena, and most handsome transportation allotment coordinator, are saying that I must detach. --- How can this be?

As I said, I am in the process of sightseeing and I must ride the transportation sphere in order to sight-see. And once I have sight-seed enough, then I shall know where my destinations shall be. So, at that time, I will give a destination and detach upon arrival."

Wilhelmina stated in a soft but gruff manner, "Talking double to me will not persuade me from my duty to see to it that you detach."

Well it just so happened that, at that moment, the transportation sphere rose up and over a high ridge-line of fingerling trees. And there, below, was a valley filled with a lush lullaby forest and rolling hillsides covered with tranquility-moss. But what really made it wondrous was the fact that it all surrounded a lake of turquoise liquidity.

As Nurnest looked to the valley below, he stated, "No more need to discuss our disagreement, I do believe my destination has found me. I will detach here and your assignment will be completed."

Wilhelmina was taken by the valley's beauty, also, and the sight of it brought about feelings that Wilhelmina had not had in a very long time. So she said, "I cannot authorize a departure in such a beautiful, I mean, uninhabitable place. You are all alone and who knows what adventures, I mean, what perils await. Perhaps someone should attend you, don't you think?"

Nurnest looked longingly at Wilhelmina, and then stated, "I will be fine. Besides, I have no companion to enjoy this place with, so I must go alone or not go at all. To not go to a place that I am already at, and to not explore such a beauteous oasis, well, that would be unthinkable. So, I shall detach as soon as this sphere reaches a safe detachable level."

Wilhelmina looked very sad, but Nurnest was well within his rights so she sounded the authorization codes that lowered the sphere.

Once near the ground, Nurnest detached with a slight, "Ploop", when he hit the ground.

But once Wilhelmina's feet touched the ground she was overcome with emotion. She could not hold on, so she detached from the sphere as well.

So, as the Transportation Sphere ascended, Wilhelmina looked coyly into Nurnest's eyes and said, "It seems that an error has occurred and now I am without transportation. I do believe that it will be some time before another Transportation Sphere happens this way. Might we go sightseeing together while I’m waiting?"

Suddenly both of their three-pronged data reception deployed.

The antennas were whizzing, clanging, cur-plunking, and making all sorts of other noises. And they continued to do that for the entire time that Wilhelmina and Nurnest explored this wondrous place called Amour.

JE Falcon

08-25-2019

OK 2023