Experiment 65 Head in Heaven and Feet on Earth

Dreamweaver - age 28

They were exploring a mountain side that was linked to several astronomical observatories in the valley. The group of men that she was travelling with was excited at the prospect of playing with the new instruments and technical toys. She was feeling rather neutral about the equipment showcased, rather she looked forward to meeting up with old friends and sky watching with them again.

The telescopes were huge. She estimated it to be about thirty metres in length, judging from the size of the human standing below it. The telescopes were pointed at the twilight sky, ready for another evening round. The sky never seemed to get dark but the stars were easily sighted in the azure density layered background.

She watched the various groups set up camp in the pleasant surrounds. Each group had their projects to complete every night. One group on the hill side was trying out some anti gravity back pack. The man who was strapped in the pack gave a little hop to jump start an arc trajectory across the field patch. He did not make it very far, maybe fifteen metres in a hyperbolic curve. He did not seem to have very good control of his toy or maybe he just was not brave enough.

She watched him make a few more jumps into the sky and land rather unceremoniously back on ground. He very nearly crashed into another group nearby. Then his next attempt placed him close to her spot where she stood watching him. He seemed a little dejected and somewhat anxious about the anti gravity contraption. May I try it, she asked him politely.

He seemed relieved that someone else was offering to test drive the bag pack. He had had enough of it for tonight. He took the pack off and helped the girl to fasten it securely. She seemed fairly capable of experimenting; those who had made it to this mountain were competent in their own way. He saw her watching him as he was testing the pack. She was curious.

The anti grav pack was light; it seemed easy to operate and simple to manoeuvre. She stood still for a moment, arms akimbo and surveyed the scenery around her; she mentally plotted her flight path. She relaxed her arms by her side and gently pushed against the ground, flexing her calf muscles as if to make a tip toe. The pack generated a field that responded to her body’s muscles and she sailed effortlessly upwards.

She quickly eased into the field constructed around her body and tested out various ways to change course and move through the air. It was a little like swimming but the field responded to a pattern of certain muscles that allowed her to swoop, dive and spin through the air resistance and gravitational pull of the planet.

The boys stood below and marvelled at her aerial skills. Somehow she managed to master the device easily, like she was born to fly. The group had been trying to figure out the working combination for a long time, and they had only managed to fly in a short arc so far. This was a spectacular success for their project. They were amazed by her skill to manipulate the field.

She had been enjoying her swim through the sky, blissfully unaware of the attention she had drawn below. Oh dear, she now had to figure out a proper landing strategy. She found that she could hover in the air for a few seconds by relaxing her spinal muscles followed by a deep breath out. It was a test of her ability to coordinate mind and body together in symphony with the fields around her. Intuitively, she knew what to do even if she had not experienced the event before.

She landed smoothly and calmly on the grass. She passed the pack back to the man in charge who had so many questions for her. They surrounded her to listen for the little tips and hints that might make them as aerially dynamic as she. She told them of how she interpreted the fields and muscles, how she physically translated breaths and thoughts - Be calm and carefree.

The group of boys went off to practice their new found methods. She might have been a bit reckless in her exploration and the boys might have been too safe, they were still stuck in hyperbolic pathways, struggling against the gravity of their minds. She did not know why they could not soar or why they seemed so unbalanced and unsure.