What do you wanna be when you grow up?
,,a firefighter!'' One kid screamed instantly.
,,a doctor.'' One kid said calmly and clear.
,,a-a princess?'' One kid reluctantly answered mumbling it into their shirt.
and what do you wanna be?
What do you wanna be when you grow up taito?
,,a scientist'' One kid answered clearly, his eyes burning with determination.
—————————————————
,,Everyone please follow me. I'm your tour guide for this small trip. My name is Heike.''
I took off my headphones and sighed. I stretched a little before getting up and looking out of the window. Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy and much more. It appears they didn't overdo it when saying this place really contained all kinds of nations.
,,Taito, don't keep us waiting man. You were the one who so dearly wanted on this trip!''
,,Yeah yeah, im coming!''
After being called out by none other than my classmate Harald I snapped out off my trance like stating of looking at the building and went outside after packing my electronics into my bag. I took a breath of the fresh air and then composed a slight smile on my face. He was right after all. I really did want to go here! I should really express more of my joy.
,,I can't wait to see them firing that thing up''
,,Harald you don't even know what you have here.''
Uh oh. Seems like that hit a nerve based on his glare.
,,a Tarticle-accelator!''
,,as close as the sun. Particle-accelator''
,,basically what I said asshole!''
Not really but alright I'm too tired to be fighting now. And the rest of the class did look pissed at us two causing so much trouble right at the beginning of the trip. And so we followed the tour guide Heike who brought us to the new accelator.
,,As some of you might know our
Organization CERN has laid its goals very clearly. Understanding the fundamental structure everything around us even ourselves is made of! With the LHC the former biggest collider in the world we were able to prove the existence of the Higgs-Boson which ultimately gave us more understanding about the Higgs-Field. That which gives everything in this universe a mass. And now here in Switzerland we have build an even bigger new collider right next to the old one.''
I swear I have read exactly this off their homepage. Is she really just reading out a pre made text? You're a multi billion dollar company, please don't cut in small corners like this.
,,Taito! When are they gonna fire this thing up and like do this smash thing you told me about when we rode here?''
,,Who knows? You can't just ,fire' it up this is not an car we're talking about here!''
I retorted a bit more snarky than what I intended to. It just reminded me of the last trip where he talked to the for so long the teacher scolded us both. I just really didn't want this to repeat again.
,,okay okay. No reason to get so pissed. But uh….Ive seen some stuff on social media about how appearently dangerous this is look''
,,.....Harald this is a Video by a guy called Flatearthtruth1980. Are you really this gullible-?''
Is that a snicker? Oh god. Seems like I fell for the bait again. Okay I've trained for this before. Just don't interact with it.
,,Oh woah. This guys arguments are awesome. Look at this! Ever thought about why water sticks to the earth if it's round but gets right off when spilled on a basketball?''
,,La la la I can't hear or see you!''
,,Oh really? Then I suppose I have to make you listen''
Huh. That wasn't Haralds voice. I opened my eyes and took my hands off my ears. My class looked at me having to hold back their laughter. My teacher looked at me having to back their anger. Crap. Seems like I was too loud.
,,I get that what I did was a little embarrassing infront of the Tour guide but really teach?!''
I shouted to myself as I strolled back the entire way we came from. Our teacher had appearently forgotten her backpack in the bus. Originally she planned to get it herself but since my little need for punishment just happend ever so perfectly she had other ideas.
,,and the way it sounded it seemed like the accelator was soon to start too…..it's not like anything's going to happen at its start anyway. Just a lot of noise probably''
Damn it have I already gone insane? I guess it might be since I took the wrong turn two times on my way to the bus. Seriously tho who build this place! Everything looks the same in every direction. After the third try I atleast managed to find the bus we rented. After taking my teachs awfully heavy bag over my back I made my way back.
,,I feel like if I said that last sentence out loud it would sound even weirder. Awfully heavy bag over my back I made my way back.''
I recited that a couple of times while going back. I stopped a moment at the entrance to the enterior building. From here you could see a couple of people protesting on the parking lot. Well what means a couple. Just like 10 or so. Probably enough to make it in the local news somewhere next to the ones about which celebrity divorced today.
,,Don't start the accelator! Don't tempt with something greater!''
Did they just come up with this on the spot or have they had this planned out? Kinda has something catchy to it if it weren't complete bullshit. I guess people like this always exist. Back when the LHC was first launched it also had a lot of media going wild about it before. As if Particle collision of much greater magnitude wouldn't happen hourly in the universe. Mh? What turn here again. Left or right.
,,well there's only one way to find out''
I said while grabbing a coin from my pocket. For some reason I had this tick that when I genuily didn't know something and had no way of finding out to simply throw one. I placed it on my fist ready to flip it up with my thumb.
,,Shit! Shit!''
I ran after the coin which just I just failed to catch after flipping it up. Seriously why is it rolling so perfectly? Finally it came to a halt and that was left in the corridor I didn't know what way to go. Meh. I guess this also counts as a sign? Not very scientific of someone who wants to become a scientist but probability is also a huge part of physics so excused!
,,There you are Taito! Exactly when we're gonna fire this thing up!''
,,who's we? You didn't build it Harald. Neither did I.''
,,your fathers company still contributed a lot to it being built and I'm your friend so yes WE!''
Well. He wasn't wrong about that…fathers company. It's the whole reason this trip even worked. If every schools class around in this area would've been allowed this we would have the whole building filled with puberty. Our ones was a sole exception because the Mingha gmbh is a huge contributor to the accelator. Same goes for our entire school. After all we're a highly renowned private school. One might thinks how cool that is but trust me it's anything but that! The girls here don't even glance at you even if you ask for something as simple as a pencil and don't even get me started on the guys. Sometimes I really feel like Harald and I are the only two normal
,,And that was the full tour of the CERN hq. With no further wait we will launch the accelator now.''
The tour guide said while stepping aside giving us now acces to a big visitor window. Through it we could see a long metallic tube. It looked expensive to say the least.
Everywhere long cables and more. While from the outside not very visible I'm sure I could see a magnet. Haven't really finished the e-book of it on the bus ride. If I remember right they are there to keep the stream of particles steady. What amazing power….
,,Close that mouth. You don't wanna look like a brainrotten zombie during the launch do you?''
No teach I don't. But you could've said it nicer. I was surprised tho. Didn't expect my jaw to actually drop when looking at the accelator. Like the tour guide said the accelator fired up. We could hear an humming sound from it.
,,those particles sure are loud''
,,that's the Vacuum-pumps Harald. They gotta make sure absolutely nothing else enters the collider.''
The mental image was interesting. Looking at the tube I imagined the protons in it being accelatred by the electric fields….faster and faster and faster….i then glanced up at the red digital timer on the wall Indicating the moment the particles would collide.
10
9
8
7
6
5
,,it must be awesome for you Taito!''
,,why'd you suddenly think so Harald?''
,,after all you always wanted to be a scientist! Well atleast from what you've told me…''
4
3
,,always is a big overstatement considering we know eachother for barely six months''
,,Well yeah not my fault you switch schools so often due to your fathers job. You know with your families money you can probably just buy yourself into getting a doctor!''
2
1
,,yeah right. You're acting like not all of our families are stinking rich. Mh. Doctor Taito Mingha. Huh? Rolls surprisingly easy off the tounge.''
…
What the hell? Why is everyone screaming and running. Oh i see. The alarm has turned on and the glass before us had shattered. When I had that realization I found myself bleeding from my head. I don't really know what hit me there but it sure damn hurt. But could I really afford to question that now? I need to leave leave leave leave leave
,,grah! Hey Harald! Get your ass over here and run.''
Why didn't he get up? I just saw him leaning against the wall panting heavily. Does that idiot wanna die. If the vacuum pumps get any louder he might not hear me anymore and I'll lose my on a string composure right now. My legs are shaking and the only thing keeping me from screaming and running right now is that idiot. Atleast everyone else has already fled. Even the teacher. I kinda imagined her to leave us two behind especially in such a situation. I stumbled to Harald ready to slap his face for not getting off his ass.
,,Ghhhh!''
,,H-Harald! Your leg!''
I see now why he hasn't gotten up. I once had problems walking when I was 10 and a dog bit me in the ankle. I couldn't imagine how hard it must be with a glass shard stuck inside your thigh. A lot less blood than expected…it probably blocks the blood flow right now. I shouldn't pull it out or he'll bleed to death before we get out of here.
,,Taito. Leave me behind!''
,,Yeah sure I'll leave right away once we got you out of here!''
Did that idiot really thought I'd run away like that? It might be the wrong moment to think this but I've always kinda dreamed of a moment like this. Helping a friend escape from sure death while helping him get up. I put my arm around his shoulder and got him up. The alarms kept beeping and beeping and beeping. I hadn't looked or smelled properly before but I was preety sure something was burning. Finally at the exit of the room. Once were out in definetely gonna compliment the construction company for making a building strong enough to not collapse after such a shock atleast for 5 minutes. Cause right after we were before it the ceiling over us collapsed right before we could've went through it.
,,Shit! Taito. Leave me behind! Down there the gap. It fits for youahhhhhhh!''
Shut up yourself!
,,Taito! Thank you for being such a good friend.''
Quite a thing to say while someone kicks you in the butt several times to get you through a little hole.
,,Alright! You're through now. Only me left to die.''
The Hole Harald went through had collapsed fully after he went through. I heard his shouting from the other side before a single growl came and then silence. He must've ran away or rather stumbled away with his injury. I couldn't blame him, I WAS fully doomed now.
,,hahaha….ha.''
I had to laugh at the thought of him stumbling while crying about me I never really questioned how I would react in a sure death scenario…probably not like this…one would probably say that I look almost akward rather than terrified but whenever I had huge fear I really would just look like a frog and laugh weirdly…my hands are shaking and so are my legs…the pumps are getting louder and louder behind me. I lean on the wall and slide it down till I sit on the ground.
,,Well then let's give a final review to my life shall we?
0/10 relationships: single for a whole 16 years. Quite amazing to be so little amazing.
0/10 parental relationships: I've talked to my Siri more than them.
4/10 achievements: won the one or other physics contest but nothing that would get me into a history book.
5/10 friends: found a couple good ones. Not a single one I stayed with for longer than 7 months due to always having to move tho.
…
0/10 dreams achieved:
Wishing to become a scientist and dying to the invention of one. Is there a saying that goes death has a sense of humor? If there isn't I just made it up. Sadly no one can quote it.''
…
,,That was it huh? And that is it. White?''
I looked around myself and saw only White. Did the accelator explode and I'm now in heaven? It happend in a single blink so that might be it. Atleast I died rather painless.
,,overall life conclusion 5/10. preety solid thing I say.''
I fell all of a sudden. And fell and fell and fell and fell and fell and fell and fell and fell and fell and fell. Around me the white turned to colors and then to what I could only describe as three dimensional fractals. Some might be familiar with the Mandelbrot set. I once looked at a Video of someone zooming into it super fast and almost fell over. Imagine this but actually falling into it. I wasn't sure if I screamed during it or not. For some reason my surroundings made sound. Like a loud drum they hammered into my ribcage. I would've thrown a coin if I could to decide whether my lungs or eardrums would implode first! And then.
,,Kgh- haaaa haaaaa tChhh!''
Bless myself. I just sneezed by looking into the sun. That's actually called photic sneeze reflex. It happens since the nerve which senses light and the nerve which controls sneezing are so close together in some people a sudden flash of light stimulates the sneezing reflex. About 20% of all people have it and it's genetic!
,,huh the Sun? So either Valhalla or The Garden of Eden. Garden of Eden is the more cool afterlife if I remember right so let's go with that''
I stood up and put my hand to my forehead…there was no blood? Did I switch bodies. Hopefully it made me a couple inches taller. Or a whole foot! I had to find the next house and measure myself...where was the next house?
,,infact….where am I?''
I asked to the gigantic green and empty landscape spreading out before me….