Ride of Death and Time
by Noobi
Virtually in the middle of the desert a psychological-mechanical artist turned his life
savings into a Ride. Not an amusement park; not a theme park. A single ride. The original
parking lot held spaces for a thousand cars. He's had to double it since opening two
years ago. Every fifteen minutes a hundred 'pilgrims' as they are called come forward
from the large line that snakes around the perimeter of the ride. Many emerging clearly
shaken by the experience get back on line to do it again.
Ride entrepreneur Leslie Voyer explains the need for such an experience, "People want
to go somewhere and do something. They also want to see and feel things they haven't
before." Miles Sturdish, 24, a graduate student in particle physics and his girl friend
Misha, 23 a former missionary have ridden the ride 45 and 42 times respectively. They
met while standing in the line several months ago. At fifteen dollars a turn it has become
an expensive undertaking, not to mention the two hour drive to get here.
"While, the ride changes somewhat," Miles, said, "where else can you go and be
launched to your death where other worlds, dimensions and multiple time periods collide
and afterward go home. It's very engaging," Miles said. Misha nodded, "It's the only way
we'll get to see our universe end."
Even with the immense popularity of the attraction Voyer has yet to turn a profit. "It's the
high cost of insurance. I'm thinking of dropping the insurance, have participants sign a
waiver and give them a quick exam before boarding. But the logistics of that are hard to
accommodate." Several riders have died since opening day. "I suspect that people with
limited imaginations do not perform well on the Ride. Their anxiety levels go
out-of-control. For that reason I refuse to allow politicians to buy a ticket. I just can't
afford the negative outcome," Voyer said watching the line grow.
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