4- Xerondar

The lecture was on theoretical cosmology, and where to draw the line between scientific conjecture and science fiction. It had always been a fascinating topic for Xerondar, and the guest lecturer was a Dr. William Carroll, who until now had been known as a recluse who only published his research online and never made any kind of public appearance. Xerondar had been looking forward to attending this lecture for weeks. He’d arrived early to ensure a good seat in the third row and was just pulling out his notebook and his tape-recorder when a sudden wave of dizziness forced him down into his seat.

Andi, the blonde finance major from his Saturday study group, placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey X, are you okay?" she asked with overly-affected concern.

"I’m fine," he assured her. "Just got a little dizzy for a moment."

"Are you sure?" she pressed, "What have you eaten today?"

Her question made him think. No, he hadn’t eaten anything that morning. There had been a strange jittery feeling in his stomach and he hadn’t felt hungry. Butterflies in the stomach . . . sudden dizziness. . . . Could it be? No, it was too soon to tell. It could just be nerves or stress. He’d hardly been sleeping at all lately. He wouldn’t get his hopes up.

"You have to think about it that long?" Andi laughed. "Geez, there’s your problem!" she decided, nudging him playfully. "How about after this we go get something to eat? My treat?"

Xerondar glanced at her. "Sure," he said, "But I’ll pay for myself."

Her face contorted into an exaggerated pout, obviously intended to look cute. "Oh, come on," she whined, "You never let me do anything for you."

Xerondar grimaced. He was going to have to do something about her. Xerondar didn’t date, but he always had several female classmates and acquaintances that he was on friendly terms with. Sadly, they were rarely interested keeping things that way. And while letting them down gently was something he had become quite skilled at over the years, he was almost never able to retain those friendships afterward.

The dean was making the introductions now, listing Dr. Carroll’s qualifications and achievements and expressing her enthusiasm and gratitude that such a great man would choose this campus as the setting for his debut as a public lecturer.

Xerondar still felt somewhat dizzy and the ringing in his ears made it difficult for him to concentrate on the dean’s words. He somehow managed to remember to turn on his tape recorder before the end of her speech.

Then the man himself took the stage. A middle-aged, overweight man with a beard and glasses who seemed very uncomfortable in his suit approached the podium and stuttered over his greeting. He smiled and apologized, confessing his inexperience with public speaking, and made a joke about it. The audience laughed politely and he began his lecture, accompanied by a series of pictures projected on the screen behind him that illustrated his speech beautifully.

The jittery feeling in his stomach was gradually becoming more violent, and Xerondar began to feel a slight prickling on his skin. He gasped and shuddered as a chill ran down the back of his neck. This couldn’t possibly be from lack of sleep . . . it had to be . . . No. He wouldn’t give in to false hope. He needed to be sure.

Everyone laughed again. He had missed the joke. Up on the screen were two nearly-identical pictures side-by-side, one a new image from the latest advancement in telescope technology, the other a still from an old episode of Star Trek. Xerondar smiled. He’d have to remember that. He knew someone who would get a real kick out of it.

Then he felt it. The push. It was like being hit by giant sandbag. And that initial push was followed by a pulling sensation, as if he were underwater with a strong current sweeping over him, nudging and tugging him in the direction it wanted to go.

Suddenly nothing else mattered. Xerondar jumped out of his chair and grabbed his bag, leaving the recorder and the notebook behind as he bolted for the door.

A huge part of him wanted to just run with the current, but he knew that would be impractical these days. There had been a time, long ago, when he would have just started running. Once he had even done it in bare feet, letting this feeling pull him along, ignoring the pain in his eagerness to reach his destination. But the world was different now. He rushed back to his apartment and hurriedly packed his few belongings into his car, then after a quick stop at the gas station for food, water, and a tank of gas, he started driving. East. She was pulling him east. He wasn’t sure how far, but he’d know it when he arrived.