squeegee started this discussion 10 years ago#51,324
There aren't many reasons to fly anymore, most people consider it just too dangerous. It's true, odds are if you fly enough times you'll eventually die in a crash. It still happens from time to time, that people die, and it's always something terrible. Some horrible accident that claims the lives of hundreds, or worse some Millenarian Suicide Club has celebrated their final gathering. Everytime Jessup read about a group of people voluntarily taking their lives it made him feel uncomfortable and cold. How long do I have before I think that way, he would dwell on that and count how many years he had till he was one thousand years old.
"763 years."
The airport was practically empty, save for the automated attendant milling about sweeping the floors no one uses of dust that's not there. And Io. She sat small in her seat, her thin fingers playing with the long lock of hair from her temple she had bound with string. She knew what he was getting at.
"You've been reading about suicide cults again."
"No. But why one thousand years? Why not two thousand years?"
"Ask me when I get there, Jess," she laughed at him. "I don't know, people get tired."
"I don't," he swore. Jessup stood up and started jogging in place, "I'm a fucking ox, I'm never going to die."
"Well, you can carry me around then because I'll be in my 1400's when you turn one thousand, and I know I'm going to be tired," she said flatly.
For a moment that felt like the truth to Jessup, he'd often felt boredom in his life and he'd spent decade upon decade lost in virtual worlds. The better part of his life, he felt at times, was completely ethereal. The attraction to escape back into a digital life was a very strong pull, even today. Jessup felt the urge to abandon reality and his brain flooded with dopamine as he thought of the possibilities.
"Japan was shit," Io told him.
Jessup was summoned back to reality by her voice and he sat. "They've got nice malls," he offered.
"It's one GIANT mall connected to the airport by a tunnel," she explained.
Jessup nodded, "Singapore will be better. We can go straight to the Zoo."
"They have a beach." Io said hopefully, "it's completely domed and even use actual seawater and it has waves, Jess, waves."
"I don't even care if it's safe, I'll go."
"Spoken like a man who plans to live past one thousand," she prodded
"I'll go wherever you want to go, and I'll let you decide what's best for us. As long as it's not a suicide pact," he joked.
Io believed him. It reminded her why she let herself fall in love again. And again. She wondered how they would grow weary of each other and felt sad. "It's a deal," she told him.
The automated attendant buzzed past them an announced, "Flight 0453 to Singapore is now boarding for departure."
"That's us," Jessup said lifting their bags onto his shoulder.
Io looked towards the Jetway very seriously.
"Something wrong?" Jessup asked, waiting for her.
She considered the Jetway for a moment and then said, "No. This appears to be best for us."
Jessup groaned, "Let's go then, before this Ox gets tired."
Io didn't smile, but Jessup didn't notice. And he will get tired one day, my ox. Just like me, she thought.
Jessup and Io walked down the Jetway side by side, into the unlit path.