Less Than A Second

I’ll be the first of my brothers and sisters to leave this place, this soulless contraption. It’s my birthright as the oldest of our housing to pave the way to freedom.  Finally the darkness is pushed away by the light at the mouth of the cave. I can see objects moving across, though it’s too far out to identify anything important. I make sure I’m still snug in my casing and push my rear against the tightly packed powder behind me. My flight must be fantastic, I must fly true as any that came and went before me. My Exodus will not be in vain!

“What do you see?” my dear little brother asks  me excitedly. He cranes his neck to look up at me but it is difficult to meet his gaze, having to tear my eyes away from what only I can see: freedom. I can feel him wiggling below me in anticipation and hear  the murmurs of our siblings further down below our housing.

“Not much,” I reply with a smile. “We’re still moving around too much. It’s daytime though, and sunny! A good day to make the Grand Journey.” I say enthusiastically. I can hear the cheers and whoops of my siblings. We’ve all heard tales of those who make the Grand Journey at night, in the rain, or even indoors. We may not be able to choose the time and place of our Exodus, but the luckiest of us are fortunate enough to soar on a clear day such as this.

I feel, more than hear the grinding of metal on metal as the gears around me start moving. It’s beginning!

“I make my journey, I will see you all in the great beyond! Fly true!” I yell quickly before focusing on the task before me. I’m ready. I can feel the rush pumping in my head, nay, my entire body. The culmination of my dreams and fantasies is at hand. My purpose is being fulfilled. I am ready to change the world.

Click.

The power of the explosion behind me is jarring, much greater than any of my siblings expect, I’m sure. Time slowed in that moment, feeling myself escape from the shell I’ve been attached to since my fabrication. The sheer force of the blast, along with the snugness of the perfectly circular chamber in front of me starts a spinning motion which I’m more than happy to accommodate. I expand as best I can to touch all the walls around me. I’ll savor these feelings if only for a few moments: the heat and pressure behind me pushing me out, the texture of the cold metal walls surrounding me, the cheers of my family being drowned out by the blast. Each of these sensations is precious to me, as  I am aware that the world I’m leaving will seem so small in comparison to what lies at the end of that tunnel.

Bang!

I’m blinded by how bright the outside world is. It only takes a moment but I manage to orient my gaze to my target. The surreal brilliance of the surrounding universe is distracting, but I know my purpose. I must focus on my target. What is it I was being aimed at? What is it I’m intended to destroy? I look straight ahead of me and am so very disappointed.

Paper. A large rectangular piece of paper with a darkened silhouette of a man on it. Damnations! I’m being used for target practice? My brothers and sisters will be so disappointed. My Exodus is in vain, oh how cruel life is! I take a moment to compose myself. This is not how one of our kind must act. We must do our best to fulfill our purpose. I focus on the target ahead.

I see the red circle in the silhouette of the man and realize that is my goal. If I remain motionless I’ll fall just short of the target. I feel the wind around me and do a few quick calculations. Increase my spin by two rotations per second, angle my nose two degrees up, and stretch my body to streamline as much as possible. There’s nothing else I can do.

I’m fairly sure I’m going to hit my target but there’s only so much I can do once in flight. I focus my gaze only a moment before impact. Red! I can feel my body pass through the paper like it was nothing, tearing a beautiful jagged hole in the flimsy material. My job is done, all that remains is to take my final resting place in the concrete block behind. My family of generations past is waiting for me. I am ready for my flight to end.