As the forces of good broke through the darkness, a white mist emitted from the white swan’s beak. It swirled in the air above the party-goers. As if on command, it dropped like rain and dissipated amongst the crowd.

Tancredi and Cocomo felt an incredible lightness. Their bodies started to tingle. Laughter rang out as the crowd began to move with grace. Some traced ballet steps on the dance floor. Others performed a can-can in slow motion, with exaggerated sinuous gestures. There was more laughter in mockery of the antidote to Armageddon.

The euphoric feeling infected minds as well as bodies. Tancredi was already in love with Cocomo, but the white mist gave his emotions an indescribable urgency. His love transformed into the incredible. As the strings rose in volume, the party-goers again began to dance; this time in couples, not as a crowd. Tancredi buried his head in Cocomo’s black hair and closed his eyes.

When he opened them he noticed a nearby couple climbing aboard a white swan parked on the floor of the amphitheatre. It was the size of a small bed, with a padded back, strewn with cushions. He watched in amazement as it flapped its wings and began to ascend skywards. Soon there were dozens of white swans floating above the crowd.

Tancredi took Cocomo’s hand and led her off to a swan. The ascent upwards was spectacular but also, for some reason, hysterical. They looked down. The amphitheatre was a mosaic of dancing bodies, flying swans and cygnets darting in every direction. It was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen, the best moment of his life.

In a heartbeat, he disavowed his beliefs. Introspection, self-awareness, thoughtfulness be damned. How misguided he had been. It was all absurd. He would willingly embrace the cult of short-termism, epitomised by the narcotic, if only it would last forever.

The swan closed its wings and they were encased in a white paradise. It was programmed to stop when it reached the top of the amphitheatre. Inexplicably it failed to do so. The swan described circles in the air as it climbed into space.

XXII
Ylang Ylang

Of all the swans floating above Comfortably Numb that night, Tamany guessed that the one which had strayed into space must contain his friends. Immediately, he launched a rescue mission, and the travellers were soon reunited on the rocket. They gathered around its console, which told them Surprise would go supernova within hours. They decided to await the end of the Universe on terra firma.

Still euphoric from the all-night festivities, Cocomo remembered her invitation to Ylang Ylang. Where better to spend their last hours than in the calming atmosphere of an after-party? Tamany set a course for the nearby planet. As they touched down on the new world, they knew that this would be their final destination.

Once the drug had worn off, Tancredi again felt mixed emotions. On the one hand he was in love; he felt a happiness he’d never imagined. His travels had been worthwhile for this alone. On the other, he had failed in his mission, which was now at an end. He had also been party to genocide, a shocking thought. The wounds he sustained on Sanitalis and Obesitas were nothing compared to the catastrophe which had befallen Correctomondo. Although dejected by failure, he comforted himself with the thought that he would die with the girl he loved.