Download A Daydream
K. A. Williams
The website at ‘Download A Daydream’ had some interesting selections including – meet underground inhabitants of Mars, sail the high seas with Captain Blackbeard (I already had that daydream), and travel through space with the crew of the Interloper.
I picked the last one, and stuck a finger into the portal that was attached to my computer. My finger tingled, the surroundings shifted, and then I was a pilot on the bridge of the starship Interloper with Captain Aquila, Lieutenant Dorado, and Dr. Corvus.
“Seriously Captain, did you not ever foresee a future where mating with a pretty alien could have consequences for you?” the lieutenant asked him.
“I’m facing the consequences now, I’m covered with feathers.” And he was. Blue feathers to match his blue skin.
The entire bridge crew were stifling their laughter, except for the doctor who guffawed. “If you feel the urge to lay an egg, let me know,” he said.
“Just get this alien DNA out of me and return me to normal. My ship needs me.”
“I’m going to need a sample of the lady’s DNA to work with first.”
“Take us back to Planet Lustily,” Aquila told me.
“Aye, aye, Captain.” I knew which coordinates to enter and did so.
When we reached the planet, the captain said, “Ensign, I’ll need you to pilot the space shuttle for the doctor and me.”
“Yes, Captain.” I got up and followed them both off the bridge as Lieutenant Dorado sat down in the captain’s chair.
The shuttle Phoenix was parked in the landing bay along with Pelican and Pigeon. We entered the Phoenix and I sat in the pilot’s seat. I knew which controls to operate and soon we were through the invisible gravity shield and on our way into space.
After a brief trip, the shuttle descended into the planet’s atmosphere and I made a perfect landing on the capital city’s visitor platform.
The blue birdlike ambassador Snetigla was waiting for us and greeted the captain with a laugh. “I’m sorry. I’d forgotten that you were unaware of the side effects of our mating ritual for an alien species. Our doctors will fix you immediately.”
She pressed a few buttons on her wrist device and several men appeared.
She motioned to the doctor and me. “Come this way and I’ll entertain you while you wait for your captain. It shouldn’t take that long.”
“I’m going with them. As a doctor I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to see this process reverse.”
After Dr. Corvus followed Captain Aquila and the others, Snetigla looked at me and smiled. “It’s just us then.”
“Let’s not do what you and the captain did. I’d rather not look like a bird and the others will be back soon.”
“No, they won’t. It’ll be fun and the doctors can keep you from changing.” She stepped closer to me.
And closer. Her feathers fell off and her skin color changed from blue to bronze.
My boss had unhooked the portal from my computer and tapped the ‘Download A Daydream’ logo on its screen with her blue fingernail.
“Your break is over, Russell,” Marianne said, “and breaks aren’t long enough for you to enjoy complete daydreams anyway. Try the website ‘Mini-Daydreams’ next break time. I think you’ll like it.”
She smiled and I wished she wasn’t my boss. Dating her would have been better than any daydream.
The End
