Chapter 2: Transported

Conciousness slowly hit me, my body became aware that I was now awake. I stretched my arms and slowly opened my eyes. Still groggy I searched for my alarm clock, instead though the memories of my early morning activity at the institute flooded back. I sat up in the bed I had been placed in, looking around I was in the back of my vessel.

I already knew this, I knew the in's and outs of this special vehicle. I was up near the back of it as I had already mentioned. Lying down in the back/sick bed. Up the front of course where the controls and the windows obviously to control my journey. Like most vehicles I still needed to see out to correctly pilot the vessel itself. Near my bed was an appropriate first aid station, and further behind that was a compartment containing rations, just in case my journey was extended for whatever reason Neil decided to leave me inside the host.

Obviously there was nothing on board for fun or recreation, even if my journey was long I wasn't supposed to have fun on such a serious and historic event. I got to my feet and slowly walked towards the controls. Remembering my first required actions I picked up the Radio and waited for Neil or a nearby person in charge to respond to my call. They responded pretty quick, and I let them know I was awake and ready to proceed. While I cut the transmission I pondered how long I had been out for. I felt well rested but as always when I got up, groggy as well.

There was a jarring thud that came from the outside of the vessel. If I wasn't fully awake yet I was now because the whole place shook around. I peered out the window, even though I had been told to expect this I couldn't truly be ready for the view outside. Another shameless comparison to what man must have thought when he touched down on the moon, he must have been braced for it but still unable to comprehend it's beauty as well as sense of danger.

I was in fluid of some sort, what it was I wasn't to sure of myself. A little detail that hadn't quite needed to be shared with me. Although I doubt it was important to my part of this journey, it was neither better or worse that I knew what my ship was submerged in. beyond the somewhat murky fluid lay thick impenetrable glass walls. In the normal world the needle or syringe I was floating it would crack easily if dropped, but form my perspective the walls where more solid than any material I had seen. This glass honestly looked like it was kryptonite, but while it made me feel secure and I wouldn't spill out it gave me the feeling of entrapment as well. There was only one way out of this place now and even if I wanted to bail at this point I still only had one direction of exit.

I squinted beyond the kryptonite walls of glass and made out the flesh coloured fingers pressed up against the glass. Of course the sheer size of one of the fingers completely dwarfed my little vessel. Even though it remained far away, the smaller unnoticeable details that the regular naked eye stood out to me. The lines and grooves of just the base of one finger tip stood out to me clear as day. The small specks of dirt picked up from god knows what also where noticeable. I'm sure whoever had me had the cleanest hands, but I was so minutiae I could see the small spots even the person had no idea existed.

Although the processing in my mind was rather slow it eventually dawned on me that I was getting carried. The giant fingers holding me should have been a dead give away, but I was far to busy coming to terms with how insignificant I and my ship where to the average world. Soon the exchange of hands began and I watched it from my small position. The courier tasked with delivering me had arrived and was set to take me to the hospital and my goal. Now within his grasp as I assumed through the fog of fluid we where heading to his delivery vehicle. My arrival to what seemed to be a van did not take long.

I was placed in some sort of secure clamp to hold me in place. The courier was oblivious to me as a passenger. All he had been told was that this needle was important and needed to be delivered. He had no idea of a stowaway passenger on his van. Nor really did he need to, he was a hospital courier. He did his job and i'd do mine, to him I was any other needle and as long as I got to where I needed to be like any other needle his job was done. I had no idea who this man was, and he had no idea of my existence. That said as I glanced around I wish he had perhaps been informed so I could be segregated from the rest of his deliveries.

Through the glass and to the right of me, I could make out the disgusting yellow of patient sample bottles. Although it didn't truly dawn on me until I read the label, containing the patients name and what specimen it was. Disgustingly if you must know they where urine samples. Quite odd to sit here so small and be dumped next to collective urine. To my left I notice a box that just said “medical supplies” and just gave the warning “Fragile” and “Sharp”.

I settled in and waited for time to pass, the hospital I was going to far away, but still a bit of a stretch. Almost tempted to head to the bed to pass time I ignored it and waited patiently. The car started and the sound of travel and motor filled my ears through the muffled glass of the needle.

I did however close my eyes and rest sitting up in the control chair. I wasn't one for meditation, but with nothing but time to kill and a large assignment ahead I decided to draw some relaxed breaths. I did need it, not only was my goal daunting, but being so small took it's toll on my mind. I had settled, but still couldn't quite come to full terms with my new perspective.

BUMP!

My eyes quickly jerked open, we had gone over some sort of pot hole I could assume. I was eyes wide with panic, but quickly relaxed.

BUMP!

“Another one!?” I yelled. But before I could vent my entire frustration the sound of creaking rang throughout my temporary home. Searching around it did not take me long to locate the sound of the irritating noise, the clamp I was fastened in had loosened and the sides of it where now tearing against the glass of the needle.

I was going over.

What a helpless situation to be in, I began to notice the straightness of the needle was no more. The top end pointing diagonally to the roof of the van. I watched as the clamps scraped on by, leaving a terrible noise in their wake. I prayed, that at the last second it somehow hold and the needle through a turn or something rebalance itself. But that was a lot that had to work right in my favour and I was faced with the reality that soon the needle would topple and i'd end up on the ground.

While the glass looked impenetrable I had no doubt that a solid collision with the hard ground would cause it to shatter. This was truly a dangerous and powerless situation to be in. I watched the last of the clamp lose it's hold and over we went.

I shut my eyes, I heard the impact though. It vibrated throughout my environment. I opened it expecting the worst, but I had been spared.

We had landed, and I was still intact. By me I mean the needle of course. Now on it's side and on the ground rolling towards the back of the van. I breathed a sigh of relief, I wouldn't be spilled free from a crack or a break. All the courier had to do was pick me up and carry on.

BUMP!

What road was this guy taking! I was meant to be on a smooth freeway, it seemed like a dirt road at the moment. But this bump created a new problem. The box I previously sat next too tipped over and out rolled needles all pulled by momentum to the back of the van to where I was.