Mouth agape, I stared at Salazin, looking for a sense of humor. He had one but it didn’t seem present at this time.
“What did you say?” I said.
“I said your ship will be ten miles long.”
“Miles.”
“Yes.”
“Ten miles.”
“Yes, ten miles.” Looking serious, Salazin picked up his beer and watched me.
He didn’t drink much alcohol. I never saw him actually finish beer. I always thought he pretended to drink to put me at ease.
Well, not always. At first, I thought he drank like I did. About a week into our friendship, I began to realize that he didn’t.
“Ten miles long?” I said. The words began to gain substance. “Ten miles long?” I was searching for references. I ran two miles a day. This ship would be five times as long as my daily run. “How wide will it be?”
“One half of a mile wide.”
While that sounded more acceptable, it still seemed unbelievable. A half a mile wide would be an impressive length. Ten miles…ten miles was fucking unbelievable.
Ten miles by half a mile. The ship would be long and narrow. “The engines for this,” I said.
Salazin watched me.
“They have to be enormous,” I said.
“No.” Salazin shook his head. “I told you. <TK> has developed new technology.”
Yes, he’d mentioned her before. “Right, I remember. You always said you would introduce me to her.”
“Yes, and I will. Her travel has been delayed.”
Her travel has been delayed. That statement seemed innocuous back then. Now it seemed like it was heavy with weight. Back then, I thought, airlines, flights, cancellations, weather. Now, thinking, her travel has been delayed, I think, from where?
From what planet?
By what means?
Michael Seidel, writer 