watched the solar disk, rising higher and higher and illuminating everything around.
Not waiting until the critical time, I hurried to dress, wash and left the house in the direction of the work. Although already then I was keenly aware that the work itself was not interesting for me anymore. And I couldn’t even remember if it was ever interesting. Such situation is probably quite common for people who have lost their way and forgotten about their true aspirations. On arriving at work, I was ready to spend the day as quickly as possible and return home to continue reading the story of Ray Bradbury. To my great surprise today wasn’t usual. Moreover, the changes began in the morning, when I still did not really understand that I was already in the workplace…
At the entrance, there was a small line and I even imagined for a moment, that I could just turn back and not to go to work. How it would be nice just to walk around the city, shrouded in the morning coolness. To drop by a nearby café, order a strong coffee and start thinking about the future project, at the same time I even didn’t have any idea what project it might be and how it could be developed, but I liked this feeling and I remembered it for a long time. Meanwhile line quickly disappeared somehow and I was inexorably drawn into the general crowd, peacefully and quietly following to their places. I quickly changed my clothes as usual, exchanged a few words in the hallway and on coming into the shop floor rushed to my workplace. Usually my first minutes were devoted to the preparation for the work, but as soon as I made a couple of steps, I was immediately beckoned by my boss. The conversation was short and quick:
– Pack your things; you are transferred to another department. You’ll find out all details on the spot, and also…
– Where am I transferred??? Why… I… I have not finished my work … – I tried to interrupt my boss, but due to surprise my words were slurred.
– Pack your things, details will be later – Petr snapped out and I slightly hanging my head walked to my workplace with not such a cheerful mood as it was before this conversation.
Everything seemed to be mixed up in my head. On the one hand, 10 minutes ago, I wanted to leave the company myself, and now I was completely disoriented by a simple transfer to a new place. I wanted to rebel, resent, but whom to and what for. Slightly ironic grimace froze on my face.
Sometimes you get used to certain circumstances and things; become attached to them so much that any interference in the usual routine causes almost a state of shock. This is a sure sign that life has gone deep into the track and it’s high time to change your environment.
On coming to a new place, I was handed a job description and some other documents. Having not come to my senses yet, I thumbed through it mechanically and, looking around, I started to learn my new job and my new colleagues. The day passed quickly and I did not even manage to notice that it was time to go home. And then I remembered about the book and about everything else. Having jumped up quickly from my chair and quickly said goodbye to everyone, I almost started running home. There was the book waiting for me on which I pinned my hopes for the revival of my abilities.
Today I decided not to distract on anything and already by the midnight, I had read the last page. I was definitely impressed by the main character, Guy Montag. His intention to find himself was very similar to what happened to me the last two days, which seemed like eternity, days that covered with an invisible veil everything that had happened before. Once again, the author of this bestseller reminds us, the readers, that somewhere far away, inside of every person there is a sense of the true path, that very path which will inevitably lead him to the absolute happiness! Even if this path is associated with overcoming a plurality of visible and invisible barriers.
The next few days every evening I sat down in my comfortable chair and enthusiastically read works of art until late night. And one day I noticed one unusual book. Several times as if not deliberately I avoided it and took another one. But now, I picked it up without thinking. Pages of this book like white wings opened before me, offering to plunge into the world of unbridled fantasies.
It was the work by Bernard Werber “The Thanatonauts’. The unusual book title and the beginning alerted me a little, but the more I sit over the book, the more interesting and charming it seemed to me. This book awakened in me the vague desire to learn something new and incredible. Having strengthened in my mind, this desire was growing more and more during the plot development. The story itself was quite strange to understand, especially for such an ordinary person as I was. It should seem, the two completely different characters met. After several years of searching of themselves and their mission in the world, they began to explore the completely unknown by that time area of human consciousness – the limb. Step by step, they moved through the limb levels, each time being on the verge of death. This fine line between life and death let them move to an intermediate state of being their soul fluttered in space like a butterfly, revealing more and more facets of our vast universe. On deciding not to go to bed, I finished reading this book in one breath. I was still under strong impression from reading the content even after a few days.
I got used to this book so much that I did not want to release the situations and the events that had happened with the main characters. Unnoticeably to myself I began googling any information related to this topic. I came across one article or another and it all seemed to be no more than a fantastic fiction. And after three days of fruitless search, when I was quite desperate to find something worth attention, some unpopular forum caught my eye. I would shut it before, but now one of forum posts attracted my attention. Someone Mathieu Launter offered assistance with the development of limb in confident, even slightly immodest tone. His offer was written as if the journey to the limb was a quite common thing and all people practiced it from time to time. Feel like going to the outskirts of the galaxy – you’re welcome! One, two, a small breath and that’s it – you’re there…
It was all of a sudden for me. Distant and childlike innocent thoughts now took on quite real outlines. The first moment I did not even believe in what I’ve just read. Slightly excited I went to the balcony and sat down on the very bench where I liked to dream when I got free time and to have a slightly think. Now thoughts raced like a wild whirlwind in my head, not allowing me to concentrate properly on anything. Fresh breeze hauled, I closed my eyes, enjoying the coolness of the night city. Suddenly, vague images of heroes of Bernard Werber, their launching chairs for sending to the limb, bright, but pleasant glow of Milky Way appeared before my eyes…
Now I felt that anxiety that had possessed me, slightly subsided, and I was able to come back to the room and sit down at the computer again. I was more than sure that Mathieu Launter was just an invented nickname, but later it will turn out that it is quite a real name. Mathieu was a French immigrant in the second generation. I read his message until the end. Below I saw his contact information as a signature. Not even knowing how to start a conversation, I wrote that I wanted to start training immediately. I was ready to sit down at the books, manuals right now; I was ready to work through all kinds of practices all day long, just to get closer to my dream…
Now time at work lasted so long that it seemed impossible to wait for the moment when I was able to start my new hobby again.
For the whole day, I had much time to have a good think about what I wanted to get from learning at master Mathieu. Sometimes in moments of weakness, I was captured by inexplicable fear. A little longer and I was ready to give up this slightly wild idea. While on the other hand it was the percentage of insanity that caused a burning desire to start immediately!
I came home and not digressing to secondary things, clung to the monitor
