The Interloper
They had been flying for a long long time now, sometimes soaring, sometimes treacherously close to the ground but on the whole gliding along at a safe and easy altitude. Yet lately there had been a marked decline, of which there seemed to be little the two of them could do about.
In the past it would simply have been a case of unloading some unnecessary burden, or briefly and spontaneously turning the burner up. However both were too attached to what they had brought to the basket, and sadly the same old butane fuel just didn’t give them the lift they needed. It was as if their balloon had grown tired of the fare they’d been feeding it, and often times the canvas would hang slightly limp.
It had been a magical day when they had first launched. Friends and family had all been there at the take off site, and there had been plenty of feasting and champagne. He had looked very dashing in his aviator goggles, with her equally resplendent in her white latex jumpsuit. Once all goodbyes had been said they stepped into the basket. With bight eyes he lit the burner ring and they floated up together amid waves and cheers.
But that was then and this was now. And lately most of her time had been spent gazing off at other aerospace vehicles, many of which were manned alone, going where and when they pleased, without having to agree anything with anyone. She yearned for that kind of freedom, rather than trapped in this basket with him, their course plotted and unaltered since the day they took off.
THUDUMPH! She had been daydreaming. As a result she hadn’t noted the peeking peak of the mountain, thrusting up through the thick layer of clouds that they cruised just above. They had come crashing to a halt and now the basket lay on a narrow plateau on the side of the peak.
“What the hell was that!” he screamed, awakened from the slumber he had been in.
“We…we seemed to have hit a snag” she told him, and gave a slight laugh. It had been the first exciting thing to have happened in a while.
He didn’t join her. Instead he quickly checked over everything to make sure all was ok. It was a routine he regularly went through, and an examination that no longer figured her into it.
“You stupid woman!” he said, after seeing the extent of the damage. “It was your shift on look out. Are you trying to get us both killed!?”
“I’m sorry” she said. “It’s just easy to get bored up here…” she trailed off, realising her poor choice in words.
“You’re welcome to jump anytime you want” He said mirthlessly.
“No, I didn’t mean…”
“Well then, try and make yourself useful for once and help me do some repairs. Sewing up the canvas alone will take the best part of a day.
They went to work, but the damage had been extensive and it took longer than expected. The loss of time on their journey only made him more and more surely, and his bitterness at their slow progress seemed to hover over them like a dark cloud, not helped by the other’s that frequently rained on them.
On the 3rd night when she was working while he slept (he had decided this too should be done in shifts) a blimp passed by. It was a marvellous machine, with the bottom part designed to resemble a good sized yacht. Despite its bulk, the blimp made no noise at all, and glided silently towards her.
A figure on deck appeared, calling in a deep manful voice “Ahoy! Everything alright?”
She waved this new figure closer and dutifully he angled until the yachts deck and the basket were almost level. What great precision and control he has, she thought.
Her co-pilot still hadn’t woken, being an exceptionally heavy sleeper, coupled with the blimps silent manoeuvres. In fact, lying down and tucked in as he was the man on the blimp couldn’t even see him.
“Are you all right?” said the man with the deep voice. “Would you like to come aboard?”
“Umm”
“My goodness you’re soaked through and shivering, please come aboard and take a shower, or even a bath. The Interloper has all the amenities”
Finally and through much persuasion she consented, and once she had washed and dried up she joined him in the spacious cabin whereupon he began talking.
“It is very fortunate I found you, and not just for your sake. You see I’m in need of some help too, my main burner is on the fritz and I noticed yours seems in relatively good condition. I’d be quite happy to tow your balloon behind me, as my vessel has plenty of thrust and lift. So what do you say? Can we help each other?”
She thought about it for a long time. But not too long in case he woke up.
Eventually he did, with a start. They were flying again, but something was wrong. He couldn’t quite place it at first, but then it came to him. The reassuring hiss of the burner ring now failed to greet his ears. He clawed his way out the blankets he was buried beneath and saw that the whole thing was gone. The ring, the fire, the fuel. All that was left was the fast fading hot air that someone had filled the balloon with.
Slowly but surely he descended down through the clouds, thinking how simply stepping off would get him to his destination much quicker.