Chapter Eight

The flight was relatively unremarkable, with the exception of the last twenty minutes when the aircraft encountered some turbulence. It was not enough to wake up from his nap but when combined with the grumbling of concerned passengers in the cabin, he silently protested by uttering a few curse words in a low voice when he awoke from his slumber. The pilot shortly made an announcement reassuring his passengers that nothing out of the ordinary was happening, nevertheless, there were still a few pockets of dissatisfaction. Twelve minutes later, the large airliner began the banking sequence before initiating its descent. The smooth landing was greeted with audible sighs of relief from a few sections of the cabin.

Morgan moved swiftly through the sea of fellow travellers when they entered the terminal building. Although he was aware that he could not get his baggage by simply reaching the baggage claim area first, preventing any possible theft of his luggage was his top priority. As a result of this spur-of-the-moment action, he temporarily lost track of his travel companions. Anxiety often fuelled him in these moments and while several of his friends and some colleagues felt that it bordered on neurotic, he thought otherwise. He agreed with them that sometimes it got the better of him but he was a better doctor for it. Several minutes later, the rest of his colleagues caught up to him and their obvious displeasure was evident on their faces.

After collecting their belongings, the group made their way through the arrival hall and onto a shuttle bus parked outside the airport. The bus would to the hotel that not only hosted the conference but also served as their accommodation: The Rita Zora. Morgan, as was his custom, took a seat in the rear of the bus next to a window. He enjoyed taking in the sights when travelling around in a new city and it made taking photos a lot easier.

San Valentino was a sprawling metropolis located on the East Coast against a backdrop of the Stoneford Mountains. It was famous for its film and television industry with many of the nation’s largest movie and television production companies having taken up residence in the city. The glitz and glamour of tinsel town-as it was affectionately called- also attracted several large tech companies to set up shop in the city due to the increase in business opportunities presented by the booming industry. With a population of four and a half million people, it was one of the most populous cities in the nation and expanding still. Numerous skyscrapers arose from the earth to grace the city’s skyline.

Rush hour traffic was starting to build and the shuttle bus came to a grinding halt. Morgan glanced around the bus to see what his comrades and the other travellers were up to; a few were engaged in conversation, others were capturing the moment through selfies while the rest were either scrolling or typing away on their phones. He slumped back into his seat and began to go through the activities they had planned for the day: relaxing at the beach and dinner later in the day. With the conference was officially scheduled to start tomorrow, there may be no better way to spend the day. The clear, blue sky and the gentle breeze helped him temporarily forget the burdens he had been carrying.

I should definitely look into getting sunscreen. Black skin needs protection too.