Illusion Mann

Lucas Mann could hardly contain his excitement as the tour bus ground to a halt outside the 'CERN Large Hadron Collider' facility, part of the accelerator complex outside of Geneva, Switzerland. Currently, the facility was shut down, in the process of getting ready for the next experiment that the students were there to witness. The day was 22/7/2025.

Lucas and several other seniors in engineering and physics schools of note in the United States had been selected for a 'tour' of several similar schools in the EU (European Union). The CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) was next, along with the Université de Genève. One of the requirements for selection was language skills in two of the languages commonly used in the EU. His were Spanish and French, both of which had already come in quite handy during many of the stops on the tour.

There was still some time left before the next target would be inserted, and the bus trip through the mountains had his stomach doing the fandango. He asked for directions to the toilet when they arrived, getting them from the bored tour guide that conducted the tour several times a day. Lucas didn't need an interpreter for his simple question.

Pardonnez-moi, monsieur. Où aller aux toilettes ? (Excuse me, sir. Which way is the loo?)

C'est au bout du couloir à droite. (It's down the corridor on the right.)

Merci, monsieur. Je vous retrouverai dans la salle de contrôle. (Thank you, sir. I'll catch up in the control room.)

Scurrying to the bathroom, he made it just in time. Lucas bent over the toilet. He lost his breakfast, and as he was washing his hands, another bout of nausea struck him.

Lucas heard the alarm bells as he ran to the control room. The lights dimmed, then it was over. He stepped through the open door, dodging as more people exited the room, narrowly avoiding a collision with the tour guide as he fled in a panic. Scientists and the tour group boiled from the control room. Not understanding the panic, as the last of the others left, Lucas felt himself being squeezed then it was over, though he had the feeling that something extraordinary had just happened.