Gravity sends you out

“Gravity sends you out”. Said Wayne, “And in your re-entry manoeuvre gravity will send you back, there is absolutely nothing to worry about, in fact you are our one thousandth traveller, welcome to the future and your future!” Tom steadied himself and held on tightly to the travel belt, at the same time he heard the countdown in his ear piece, 10, 9...he heard white noise intruding and closed his eyes. The countdown continued, his eyes still shut tight but now behind the visor that had descended to cover and protect his face and shoulders. It was a funny feeling, at one moment there was a floor beneath his feet, then it was gone but there was no sensation of falling, more like floating, standing on a mountain top, or even walking on water. The kind of thing the Young Gods had done back in the other seasons, when it was safe, or so he'd heard.

A long time passed but Tom was stoical, stuck, obeying the last orders and waiting for the next, for clearance, for the re-entry. Finally it came, the accent was foreign and hard to make out. “Traveller One Thousand, you are he, the Mister Tom from the past. Welcome to your new future. Please keep you visor on until the sanitisation process is complete, please remember and recall your briefing material. Do not be anxious, be steady, you have arrived safely but we must complete our processes.”

Tom waited, alert, ready to see. It was warm and there was a strange humming sound that surrounded him. From some place Tom could not perceive a long silver needle emerged. For a spilt second he panicked, he saw it coming but there was no time to think. As the visor unlocked and rose mechanically the needle twirled and entered the middle of Tom's temple killing him instantly.

“That is another milestone for us.” Said Wayne over the coms link, “a thousand products safely delivered, ready to be harvested. Useful organs and spare parts for retail and the rest tastes just like chicken.”