The little blue backpack Zippy took a deep breath. He stood on the cold metal counter in the enormous, noisy airport terminal. All around him, there was clanging, beeping, and announcements from speakers. But most of all, he was afraid of what awaited him. Right in front of him began a long black belt that snaked like an endless serpent and disappeared into a dark hole in the wall.
"Now then, your turn, little one," said a kind lady and gently pushed him forward. Zippy slid onto the belt. He felt it move beneath him. His little heart was beating like an alarm bell.
"Help! They're kidnapping me!" he squeaked quietly and clenched his zippers tight. The belt was moving faster and faster. Zippy closed his eyes and waited to see what would happen.
Suddenly something landed next to him with a thud. It was an enormous, dark green suitcase, covered all over with stickers from places Zippy had never even dreamed of. It had sturdy wheels and looked very wise and experienced.
"Well, well, what do we have here? First flight, eh?" boomed a deep, friendly voice.
Zippy cautiously opened one eye. "Y-yes," he stammered. "And I'm scared. Where is this belt taking us? I'll get lost!"
The big suitcase laughed so hard that its handle shook. "Don't worry, little one. My name is Wheelie and this is my one hundred and fifteenth trip. I know baggage belts like my own pockets. Stay close to me and I'll show you everything."
Zippy felt a bit relieved. "Really? And you know where we're going?"
"Of course!" Wheelie declared proudly. "This is the beginning of the greatest adventure! It's like a huge maze, but with rules. Look!"
The belt carried them into the first tunnel. Lights flashed around them and they heard quiet buzzing. Zippy huddled close to Wheelie. When they emerged, they found themselves in a gigantic hall where dozens of other belts crisscrossed. It looked like a highway for luggage. Suitcases, bags, and backpacks of all colors and sizes were moving in different directions.
"Wow, what chaos!" exclaimed Zippy. "How do they know where everyone should go?"
Wheelie smiled. "That's not chaos, that's a system. And the key is this," he said, gently nudging Zippy's handle, where a white sticker with black stripes and letters was attached.
"This sticker?" Zippy wondered. "But it's just a piece of paper."
"That's the most important piece of paper in the world!" explained Wheelie. "It's called a barcode. It's like your secret name. When we pass under a special light, it reads it and immediately knows which airplane you belong to. Each of these stripes means something different. It has the city you're flying to written in it, and your flight number too."
Just then they were approaching a large arch from which red light was emanating. Quiet buzzing came from the arch.
"W-what is this? Some kind of monster?" whispered Zippy.
"Not at all. I call this the Big Eye," laughed Wheelie. "It's a scanner. It sees right into our bellies to make sure we're not carrying anything dangerous. Like a bottle of water or scissors. It's so we can all fly safely. Look, it doesn't hurt at all."
They passed under the arch and indeed nothing happened. Zippy sighed with relief. He wasn't so scared anymore. He was beginning to like it. He watched as some suitcases separated onto other belts.
"Aha! That pink suitcase turned off!" he called out.
"Exactly," nodded Wheelie. "Its barcode told it that its airplane is waiting on the other side. We each have our own path."
They approached another belt intersection. Suddenly a small mechanical lever extended next to Wheelie and gently pushed him onto an adjacent belt that headed to the right.
"Oh no! They're separating us!" cried Zippy.
"Nothing's wrong! That's right!" Wheelie called back to him as he moved away. "My code said I'm flying to Paris! Yours will take you exactly where you need to go! See you on the plane, buddy!"
Zippy waved his handle at him and continued alone with new courage. He now knew he wasn't lost. The belt was carrying him surely and safely onward. He passed through one more short tunnel and suddenly his journey ended. He slid down a small slide and landed softly on a cart where several other bags and backpacks were already waiting.
He looked around and joyfully discovered that on the adjacent cart, heading to the same airplane, stood his new friend Wheelie, cheerfully winking at him.
Zippy understood. What he had been so afraid of wasn't a scary chaos, but an amazing, thoughtful system where everyone had their place and their destination. He smiled. He couldn't wait to take off.
And who knows? Maybe the next time you fly on vacation, you'll remember Zippy and his journey. And you'll look at the sticker on your suitcase knowing that you hold in your hand a secret map to a great adventure.