An hour later, Tarun had endured the well wishes of the guests in attendance, shaken the hands of those proud of his journey ahead. Eventually, the guests found their way into the Departure Hall itself and sat down in silence as they waited for the ceremony to begin.

As Tarun left the third gallery behind and walked in silence towards the Departure Hall, he felt an increasing pressure inside his chest, as if he was being squeezed by strong arms. He paused by one of the side doors and inhaled slowly as he peeked into the chamber through the partially opened door. In total, there were maybe two dozen guests waiting inside. He closed his eyes and leaned up against the wall. I can't do this.

"There you are." Ruban appeared next to him, a smile on his face. "Come, the ceremony is about to begin."

"Already?"

"Yes, it's almost time."

Tarun nodded and followed Ruban to another door that led them into what he knew was the waiting room.

"As you know, you'll wait here until I'll make the announcement. Then, come through this door and to the front of the stage where I will introduce you before you settle into the Departure Chamber."

When Tarun nodded, Ruban grabbed both of his shoulders and flashed a big smile. "You are truly fortunate, Candidate Tarun. Today you'll be on your way to a destination I can only dream about."

Tarun wanted to tell him he'd be happy to switch spots with him but before he had a chance to open his mouth, Ruban squeezed his shoulders, turned and disappeared through the door.

~~~

Ruban entered the Departure Hall from the back of the stage and faced the visitors from the front. He bowed, clasped his hands and smiled.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began. "Welcome and thank you all for attending the official departure of Tarun Ra'Han. In a tradition that was established a long time ago by our forefather, know to us as the Traveler, and by all of those that have gone before us, we are today sending Tarun on a journey of exploration. On this journey, he follows the path established centuries ago by the Traveler himself as he journey to our final destination, a planet full of riches and comforts, a place where we take up permanent residence and grow the reach of humanity in this universe. In years past, many mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters have embarked on this journey with the promise of a better life. Many have gone, none has returned, as it was foretold."

Ruban paused for a moment and looked out at the assembled guests, then continued. "Today, Tarun Ra'Han joins those who traveled before him. Although many of you will surely feel sadness at his departure, you can rejoice in the knowledge that not many years from now, you will all join him on this journey to this paradise. One day, we will all be reunited. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Tarun Ra'Han." Ruban gestured towards the back of the stage as Tarun appeared on unsteady and walked towards the front of the stage. He was pale and sweat was visible on his face. His eyes darted left and right

Ruban stepped up to Tarun and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "Tarun Ra'Han, are you ready for your Departure?

As if on cue, the Departure Chamber opened.

~~~

Tarun took a deep breath as he gazed out at the crowd. His lips felt dry and his heart was pounding the inside of his chest like a jackhammer. The pressure on his chest seemed to build with every breath. He heard Ruban speak but the words were gibberish. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that this was the time to step into the chamber, to get ready. But, he couldn't. He had to speak, he had to tell them.

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He took a tentative step forward, his hands raised. He opened his mouth to speak, then froze as his eyes found a familiar face. The woman from the compound. She's here.

He felt his eyes widen and felt an urge to call out to her. Their eyes met and for a moment she looked down, then met his stare again. It hadn't been a dream. The place did exist. She was proof of that. The documents he had read, they were not a figment of his imagination.

A solid hand on his shoulder gently pushed him back into the Departure Chamber. Tarun was too stunned to notice until the transparent canopy snapped shut around him and the lock clicked.

As the canopy shut, he felt restraints wrap around his wrists and ankles. He tried to move but couldn't. Then, the canopy changed from transparent to cloudy, blocking the view of the audience. Tarun wanted to scream but nothing came out of his open mouth. He heard the click as the canopy was locked. Outside, Ruban continued rambling but Tarun could no longer hear him and no longer see him through the frosted glass.

A felt a barely noticeable pin prick in his arm. A needle? Instinctively, he tried to move his arm, but it wouldn't budge. 's point of entry. As it spread up his arm and into his shoulder and upper body, he felt consciousness slip away and the canopy in front of him faded to black.

~~~

"Any moment now," Wared whispered to Kyra as they watched the canopy close and Ruban ramble on about the promises of the future. Wared had heard it all before. The speech hadn't changed for decades and was varied only slightly based on the subject that was departing.

Kyra grabbed his hand with her two hands and held on tightly, both of theirs eyes glued to the chamber. A faint came from the general direction of the chamber as it began to lower itself backwards into a horizontal position. It slid on a set of rails closer to a circular opening that led into a tube a little larger in diameter than the chamber itself. It connected and slid partially into the opening.

As the chamber locked into place, a small rectangular box rose on a pedestal from the front of the stage. A large, circular red button on top of the box was visible even to Wared.

"At this moment," Ruban continued, "Tarun is at peace, awaiting the moment we've all been waiting for. Let us on the significance of his upcoming journey and appreciate the opportunity it provides Tarun now and the rest of us in the near future."

Ruban bowed his head and crossed his arms. He waited about thirty seconds, then reached for the red button and pressed it quietly. A loud whooshing sound followed. Those in attendance immediately broke out in applause and cheering. Kyra looked at Wared, tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. "He did it," she said with a grin and embraced Wared.

"Tarun Ra'Han," Ruban said as he looked up towards the sky, "May your journey be safe and free from perils. May your arrive at your destination ready to partake of the new world. May your contributions to it make it better for those of us that follow behind."

As he spoke It rose from its horizontal position to its prior almost vertical position. Ruban stepped to the side of it and pointed towards the still cloudy canopy.

"Behold, the empty chamber," he said as the canopy opened from the bottom and opened at a snail's pace.

"The revelation," Wared whispered and smiled as he waited for the empty chamber to reveal itself.

Mere seconds later, a collective gasp rose up from the crowd as the canopy revealed the inside of the chamber. Tarun was still there.

Wared as he grabbed hold of the chair in front of him. "That's impossible." Next to him, Kyra's eyes grew larger than he'd ever seen before, her mouth gaped wide open. Then, her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed on the floor. gently let her down onto the floor.

Around him, those still on their feet stared at Tarun's body in the chamber. . Tarun was supposed to be gone, on his way. Why is he still here?

Wared moved towards the stage. Some of those in attendance behind him moved towards the exits as quickly as they could. He hesitated a moment, then stepped up on stage and closer to the chamber where Tarun's body stood lifeless. There was no movement, no sign of breathing. He leaned in closer and reached for Tarun's face. He was just about to touch his cheek when Tarun's eyes opened wide and he gasped loudly.

~~~