Chapter 1: Briefing

The thought was not lost on me, such a historic event like the lunar landing was fraught with dangers. But like then, most dangers had been planned for and I was in a going to be in a controlled and safe environment

I took my seat in the auditorium, the room was devoid of any souls but myself. I almost wished I had stopped to at least to get another coffee to sip on during this presentation. But before I could let my thoughts wander any further the lights dimmed and projector began playing. I noticed the podium was absent, perhaps everything I need to know had been prerecorded. This would turn out to be the case as i'd discover right now.

“Welcome Russell Stone, institute ID: 15f9094129n. This briefing is strictly classified” I turned my head from side to side, but the room was still empty. The next slide flashed up in front of me

“You will be the first person the venture inside the human body at a small scale. To achieve this process you will be miniaturized to a size to make this journey possible. Once at this size you will be placed inside our already preshrunk and extensively tested vehicle” it flashed a picture of the vehicle I would be commanding on the screen. I was already familiar with it, it was submarine like and while I hadn't already driven it, I had been drilled to use the controls in a simulated environment.

“Once inside our vehicle you will be placed into a needle with the appropriated fluid, then you will be transported by our courier to the hospital where the patient is waiting. From there you will be injected into the hosts bloodstream and make a half navigation from the patients lower half upwards and will be collected at the rendezvous point prior to meeting the heart. In which you will evacuated from the hosts body and taken back to the lab and returned to normal height. Then you will make a statement for the media after being briefed again.”

“For any questions please see Dr Neil Swiss prior to departure.”

The lights sprung back on the projection faded, I was again left with just my thoughts. I peeled out of the chair I was currently occupying and started to make my way back to the lab. The briefing really hadn't mentioned anything new, I already was well aware of what was happening and the running times since the beginning of the project.

I walked back into the lab, Neal was waiting with arms folded.

“You're a little late Russell” he said with a humph

“Sorry, I just took my time getting back here”

“Well, that's okay but we do have a schedule to keep. Now please come over here I need you to sign this”

“What am I signing?”

“Just another contract, the usual liability nonsense”

“ugh, another one?” I made my way towards the contract and signed my name with the date “you'd think the first one would have covered me”

“We can't make exceptions” I gave Neil a look, he was as about as on the edge as I was. Lighten up it was just a joke. “Our courier is on the way so if you'll make your way to the shrinking room”

I waved him off, I already knew where to go and what to do. I made my way towards the room and got sealed in. I looked around at the vents, soon they would release the gas that would take me down to a almost microscopic scale. Unfortunately the gas would Knock me out, but not for very long. But by the time I came too I should be loaded into the vessel.

I heard the ventilation start, now was the time. I tilted my head back and shut my eyes waiting for the proses to take me away.