Fiction
The Dreamland in a Sphere Called Earth.
Chapter 1–4.
INTRODUCTION
This is a Sci-fi thriller with a pinch of fantasy.
Blurb- Rigel and his family are overly delighted about their lottery win. The lottery win takes them to places they’ve never been before and makes them make decisions with enormous implications, not only to their lives but to society as a whole. It is a story of choices, of decisions and results of those decisions.
CHAPTER I
Rigel was sitting in the memorial library skimming through the latest biotechnology bestseller when a shadow appeared over the book.
‘It’s time Rigel’
‘Already? It’s only…’ He stopped short after he glanced at his watch.
‘So, what were you reading ?’
‘Nothing specific, bits of many basics, to get a topic for research.’
‘Oh, okay, now, let’s be off or the curator will nag at me’
‘Okay Winston’
They paced their way out of the library and Winston locked it, as he recalled his head’s reaction when he forgot to.
Five miles from there Rigel’s mother was in utter amazement. She called Arthur who picked up the phone and silence followed. Arthur did not ask anything and Mary did not have anything to say. Precisely at that moment, however, Rigel entered and announced that he was back. Hearing Rigel’s voice, the deep voice said, ‘Oh! It’s you, Rigel.’
‘No it’s me, Mary, I want to give you an important update. Do you remember the lucky draw we participated in last week?’, said the gaunt woman in real command.
‘Let me guess, we lost, oh I knew it, now hang up I have work to do.’, The sleek man blurted out.
‘You’re wrong there Arthur Danby, we have won, and the prize is 2,000,000 Pounds and a chance to inaugurate the Ashley Supermarket’
‘Are you sssserrious’.
‘Yes and don’t you dare stutter here after’
‘Anything, Mary. Anything!’
By that time Rigel was already in his dreams and his room. Mr and Mrs Danby were impecunious and did not own much of the fortunes other people did. They were the finest example of an average family. Not too rich, not too poor, not too stereotypical, nor too advanced, and also, they participated in every lucky draw possible. It was yet another lucky draw in which they had participated and this time, they had won. Although it seemed an unusually high reward, they just didn’t care.
The next day, Rigel told Sam about it while they were moving to the memorial library from their college. Sam looked sceptical and said, ‘What?! They are giving you two million quids for being lucky? I don’t believe it, I just want you to be careful Rigel’. ‘Yeah’ and he threw himself into the book while people came and went, Sam bade him goodbye and he didn’t seem to care in the slightest. And there came Winston, again.
CHAPTER II
“Rigel Danby incoming. Elite biotech student. In as salesman. Father Arthur, Mother Mary. If you know the way out, answer. Did you do it? John.”
He showed the faintest of smiles and called for Thomas. I can finish it now.
CHAPTER III
‘Wake up Rigel’
‘It’s Sunday, mom’
‘Don’t you remember the inauguration, it’s in under an hour now.’
He didn’t reply, he got off and rushed to the bathroom and after a dozen minutes, they were in the cab, hoping to have the time of their life but unaware of the difficulties that lay ahead.
In prodigious thoughts, they reached the Ashley Supermarket, stepped out being welcomed by the owner of the supermarket, and sat on the dignitaries’ table. It was followed by the owner’s speech and then it happened, They were called to cut the ribbon and take a round of the supermarket.
In the midst of all other shops, there was a small little shop, a bit too small, and eccentric and with a hilarious tag,‘ tablets of dreamland’.
All of them were sure it couldn’t have been anything but a nasty joke, and just to inquire, they went closer and asked, ‘What is it that you claim?’
‘These are the tablets which can take you to dreamland’
‘Impossible’ they replied unequivocally.
‘If you’re so sure, then why not take it, it obviously has no side effects.’ said the seemingly overconfident salesman with a wide, unusual grin on his persuasive face.
‘Okay then, what do you say Mary?’
‘Let’s try it, it’s been a while since we tried something new’ Mary whispered, perhaps hoping the bad times come to an end.
‘Pack a box then, young man’
‘Right away, sir’
The next hour was a blur, they moved around, bought some things, and were already back in the cab, buzzing past a lively Manchester, into the small, dark street where they resided.
‘Let’s try it, it is prescribed to consume a few minutes before sleeping’, Arthur said while tidying up his bed.
Others complied, taking two tablets each before falling asleep.
CHAPTER IV
This was an experience they had never encountered, they were swirling around and were highly nauseatic, after a minute of complete nuisance, they felt, under them, gritty sand, across the shore of an unknown ocean, on an equally anonymous island where there was no one except for themselves. A thought they dreaded crossed their mind, were they really in the dreamland?
They were momentarily overwhelmed with joy as they saw some people marching towards them, but they then were filled with terror when they observed that they were carrying a gun and wearing armour, which was, to their greatest fear, not of the United Kingdom or any other country they knew and then an awful procession of handcuffing the Danbys’ took place, and without the faintest roar of complaint, the Danby’s had to walk with them. After a couple of dead quiet minutes, they saw a huge castle, which they entered and saw the thing which tore them apart.
He was the same, he was the salesman, the king, in his royal apparel made with lamé, presumably.
As if thinking aloud, Arthur exclaimed, ‘Salesman?’
‘Welcome to my dreamland, Danby’s. You thought I was joking, right. Now, you can see for yourself, isn’t it great, Rigel’ the colloquial man mocked.
‘Who are you?’, Rigel inquired burstingly.
‘Sorry, I forgot to give you my introduction, I’m David, the creator of this dreamland’
‘What do you want from us?’, Rigel was now all fired up, although helpless.
‘You’ll get to know soon enough, Thomas, escort Mr and Mrs Danby to the cell, and soldiers should accompany me and kid.’
‘ Where are you taking me?’
The reply never came but it was obvious, he had to walk without complaints. The next few minutes were a blur, watching his parents being cuffed and being pushed on his way to some dangerous place, Rigel was in midst of a thousand thoughts when he reached the excessively luxurious room of David. ‘Sam, you gotta be here’ he thought.
