Sorry for the long silence. Here finally is the third chapter of the story. I seem to have an issue with third chapters for some reason, oh well. Now its not fully edited but I wanted to get it up anyways since I havent posted anything in forever. So hopefully you enjoy and I know there are mistakes but ill correct those when I can. Take care and enjoy
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A month had passed since Adam had been hired on with ARK Industries and now he was currently waiting at the airport to board his flight to Japan. A lot had happened for him in the month since he signed his contract and time had seemed to pass by in a blur. When he had told his parents about his signing on with ARK they had been ecstatic. They had even gone so far as to cancel their vacation early so they could come out to Chicago to visit him before he left.
His sister had even managed to take some time off as well and surprised him at the airport with his parents. Having lived apart from his family ever since he was 18 getting to spend a couple weeks with them made it feel like he was home again. But eventually all good things must come to an end and several days ago Adam said his goodbyes to his family after seeming them off. Now it was Adams turn to head out towards new adventures.
“Hey Adam, got your suitcase and everything?”
“Yup good to go. Thanks again for the ride Mike,” A broad smile crossed Adams lips as he grabbed his luggage from the trunk of the car. Mike walked over and patted Adams back before resting his hand on Adams shoulder with a serious expression upon his face.
“Man there is just one important thing you must do for me when you get to Japan alright?” The look in Mikes eyes belaying that no disagreement would be allowed, “You must, absolutely must, get yourself a really cute girlfriend while you’re there ok. I mean I hear that Japanese girls are supposed to be quite fun to be with, so promise me you will find yourself a girlfriend and maybe, just maybe, you’ll actually get laid for once.”
“…….. You’re a total dick you know.”
“Hahaha, yes yes I am, and maybe this time you can give somebody a bit of dick too.”
Punching his friend in the shoulder Adam couldn’t help but laugh at Mikes crude humour, “Dude if that happens you’re the last person I will ever tell that too. Besides I don’t think I’ll have enough time to get a girlfriend let alone time to get laid. ARK seems pretty insistent on keeping us busy while were out there. Hell the itinerary they sent over for the next couple of days are so jam-packed with crap I’m kinda wondering when they expect us to sleep. Though I admit getting to check out Japans gravitational wave-scope has me unbelievably excited.”
“Hahaha only you Adam could be more excited about a telescope than getting a woman.” Mikes shook his head as he picked up one of Adams carryon bags, “Come on lets go. Which concourse was it that you need to go to again?”
Pulling out his ticket Adam read the numbers on it once again, ”Flight AC3332, concourse C, sector 16. So it should be this way.”
Heading off into the airport with Mike following behind him the two young men made their way towards Adams loading zone. Adam looked around as he walked appreciating the massive scale of the place. The Chicago International Airport covered nearly 43 square kilometers of space with just the structure alone. It was a massive construct but it needed to be.
Acting as not only one of America’s prime intercontinental airports it was also one of the only orbital landing zones in the world. With the exponential advancement of technology over the last several decades mankind was able to leave the boundaries of Earth and set up a series of orbiting space stations on which nearly ten percent of the population now lived. There were several small colonies being created on Mars and the moon and the space stations acted as the go between for them and Earth. Chicago’s massive Airport was one of the few places on Earth large enough to take care of the monstrous shuttles required to reach the orbiting stations.
Looking out one of the enormous concourse windows onto the tarmac outside Adam could see one of the huge shuttles sitting on its launch tracks waiting to be sent off into the lower stratosphere. Its shape greatly resembling that of an arrow drawn and awaiting to be launched from the string of a bow. He quietly admired the sleek shuttle as he passed by, wishing to himself if he too might one day make it up to the stations above.
Three tram rides and nearly an hours walking later they finally made it to Adams concourse. ARK’s logo hovered with its black background above the entryway to the concourse and a team of heavily armed guards stood behind a high security checkpoint.
“Well looks like this is me then. Thanks for all the help the last few months man I really appreciate it.” Adam turned to look at his friend and reached out to shake Mikes hand, but instead he was met with a powerful bone crushing hug.
“Dude don’t worry about it, you’re a friend and the least my family could do was give you a place to live alright. So you just take care of yourself out there,” Mike pushed Adam back but kept him at arm’s length. Staring into Adams eyes Mike began tearing up and his lip began quivering slightly, “It seems our little Adampoo is growing up to be a big boy, sniff. Soon he won’t even need his huggies anymore.”
“If anyone around here is in need of diapers it’s you yah cry baby. We’ll talk once I get settled in. Let you know how things are going.” Snorting, Adam hugged his now smiling roommate goodbye. He’d really miss his friend’s easy going attitude and light heartedness but he had a career to make. Besides it isn’t like he wouldn’t ever see him again. So they waved goodbye to each other and Adam headed towards the security check point at the end of the hall.
The security checkpoint was packed with people waiting in orderly lines to move through into the main concourse. Employees wearing Ark uniforms walked openly amongst those waiting in line answering questions or generally assisting anyone in need. Many of the people in line wore business suits that put Adams own old worn suit to shame and were obviously extremely expensive.
Everyone however, including Adam, bore a small pin on the lapel of his or her jackets marked with ARKs logo. This concourse could only be accessed by ARK employees or affiliates important enough to be allowed entry. Seeing how he would have a bit of a wait still ahead of him he stopped his scrutinizing of the well-dressed people in line and paid greater attention to the security checkpoint itself.
First to catch his attention were the security drones hovering silently over the crowd of people below. They were disk-like machines roughly a metre in diameter with a camera on one end and what Adam could only hope was a stun gun of some sort on a swivel underneath. Without any noticeable propulsion system they flew in concentric rings at varying heights with no drones overlapping in front of another. If something did occur Adam realized they were spaced such that any drones further up would be able to safely fire past any drones below.
Besides the drones there were dozens of extremely heavily armoured guards in power suits more reminiscent of walking tanks then they were of actual people. The amour they wore had dozens of heavy looking armoured plates covering their bodies and they stood roughly 7 feet tall by Adams estimation. The weapons they held appeared to be no less lethal, or terrifying, than the powered suits of armour they wore. In all the sheer amount of force present at the gates was Startling.
With ARK Industries being the most powerful corporation in the world, but also one of the wealthiest, they had created for themselves a small private army that acted as the security forces for the R&D programs that were ARK’s mainstay. With the technologies of ARK available they were rumoured to be capable of rivalling virtually any military force on the planet.
Slowly the line continued to move forward and eventually it was Adams turn to proceed through the odd-looking security checkpoint. Like normal there were conveyors for him to place his bags on; however, there were no metal detectors in sight. Instead there was an odd looking pedestal bearing a small sphere pulsating in a light blue glow resting on top. As he approached the ball it suddenly turned bright neon green and began to pulse more rapidly.
The time between each pulse rapidly shrank until it was indistinguishable from regular lighting. The small sphere roughly the size of a golf ball floated up off the pedestal exuding a slight humming sound as it rose. The green sphere slowly floated in Adams direction where it settled into a smooth circular orbit about his body. A small slit opened up on its surface and a bright green light shone out covering Adam in a vertical line of green light as it circled around him.
“Scanning person for anomalies,” an odd mechanized voice spoke up from seemingly nowhere. Looking around Adam discovered that the speaker was the little orb floating about him. He was once more dazzled with the kind of technology ARK was displaying. Most terminals just used highly advanced metal detectors in their security but here ARK was using some sort of drone type scanner. The more encounters he had with ARK Industries the more impressive they became.
Capable of influencing one of the world’s largest airports to give them their own terminal guarded by their own security…. How powerful is ARK Industries really? He knew they were the world’s largest corporation but here he was directly seeing just some of their influence. It was truly mindboggling.
”Please stand still while scan is in process…. Confirming Identity…. Match found, Adam Corbes. From this point on employee Corbes is registered to this system and will be authorized to pass unobstructed through ARK security checkpoints within this facility. Passive scans will be done for any harmful materials from henceforth but will not impede employee’s passage.
Bags may be collected on the other side of the door once this process is complete. Thank you for your time and have an excellent trip.” The green light covering his body disappeared as the odd little sphere floated back to its pedestal settling down once more into the slow blue pulsing color.
With the sphere having completed its apparent security check Adam continued forward through the checkpoint. As he approached the main doors two of the immensely heavily armed guards left their posts at the guard station and moved as if to intercept him. Wondering what could be wrong Adam gulped in nervousness as they approached preparing himself to be stopped. Instead, to his surprise, the two guards turned to the side and Stood like silent sentinels flanking the doors to either side.
They didn’t attempt to stop Him or heed his progress, instead their helmeted heads stared straight ahead of them not even turning in his direction. Even so Adam couldn’t help but notice a slight tightening of the hands around their weapons as he passed. Tensing up slightly at the action Adam felt as if they were quietly yet carefully scrutinizing him from behind their tinted visors and he couldn’t help but supress a shiver from the thought. Getting on ARK’s security radar was something Adam hoped he would never have to undergo and he picked up his pace slightly to get through the doors.
Looking back through the doors, once safely on the other side, at the guards he couldn’t help but speculate why they had done that? Especially when they hadn’t even budged an inch for anyone else having gone before him. Turning away as he pondered on thoughts of what had caused them to act so strangely Adam finally got his first look at the terminal for ARK Industries. After everything he had seen previously he had expected some amazing airport terminal with teleportation pads or possibly some kind of exotic forested area, but what he saw was a mostly vacant space.
A vast mostly empty area that stretched for at least a kilometre in length from the doors to the opposite side of the terminal and another hundred or so metres wide. On the side facing the airfield a number of waiting areas clustered around boarding gates while on the opposite side sat several eateries and a typical VR café. Besides that the terminal was practically empty space except for the thousands of people mingling about waiting for their flights. He couldn’t help but smirk at the simplicity of it all after having gotten his expectations up. Maybe the simplicity was a good thing though.
If ARK’s tendency for flaunting its power and technology kept up the way it had been Adam figured he might get too used to it thus truly becoming dissociated from reality. He had never been one for flair or pomp so it was nice to see something they did was more normal, though the fact that a security force capable of taking on a small army was present did not escape Adams notice.
Within four hours Adam was sipping on a coffee at a table within a small cafe built just off the passenger deck in the sub orbital jet that would take him to Japan. While waiting for the jet to take off Adam had gotten himself lost in reading one of his old science fiction novels. He was an avid reader devouring any interesting science fiction story he came across. Everything from online stories to novels thousands of pages thick he consumed with a passion.
For Adam his world was made up of the stories he got himself lost in, their worlds were his worlds. So much time was spent reading it helped explain his lack of exciting social skills. But he had never really cared about being social when there were new worlds to explore in each new book. Fantasy epics and wild space operas had become his life and stood as the driving force behind everything he did. Always hoping to just get one step closer to the stars like the protagonists in his favourite stories. He had become an astronomer because stories about space and technology always thrilled him to no end and gave him an unabashedly childlike fascination to reach beyond his small world, humanities pale blue dot. Sure magic would be amazing but such things didn’t exist so he chose to pursue a career in something that did, science.
And after four years of university and months of barely making it by Adam had somehow landed his dream job. Though even on the cusp of leaving to see one of the greatest technological marvels in the world his nose could still be found tightly pressed into the musty pages of a good book. He was out of tune with the world and his ability to react in it was always a struggle but for now he was calm, a small peaceful smile played upon his lips as he turned the pages.
While sitting engrossed in his book a young woman wearing a flight attendants suit tapped him on the shoulder informing him that they were about to depart. As he got up a nearby gaming pod opened, ejecting its occupant who cursed at being so rudely released from his game. Mildly jealous, Adam for what could be the millionth time in his life, wished he had the money to afford a gaming pod. But alas even with how common the pods had become he was still far short on funds and such luxuries were impossible for him to come by. If only the world had stats and levels maybe then he could be ahead of the game for once, but such as it was he was forced to settle with the world he had.
Passing into the passenger compartment of the jet he was greeted with a plethora of holographic indicators warning him of the potential hazards and safety measures that accompanied long distance travel. However with new safety standards and technology such gestures were often virtually superfluous and obligatory at best.
Along with flights being safer than ever, orbital flight made trips that used to take fifteen or more hours in length now only require fifty to sixty minutes to complete. Reducing the risks involved even further. Therefore ignoring the standard safety signs Adam made his way through clean widely spaced aisles towards his seat further down the cabin. Finding his seat he quickly stored his carryon luggage in the safety compartment beneath and settled into the comfortable chair. Unlike old jetliners which often had their passengers squished together like a can of sardines, and often smelling like one, newer orbital jets made comfort for all their top priority.
Every row, including economy class, was a single seat with space to move between them. Each seat was fitted out with form conforming cushions along with several personal holographic displays built into the armrests. However what Adam considered the greatest addition to flight travel was that each seat came with its own silencing feature. This feature allowed a person to silence the noise of the cabin around them thus allowing them to enjoy the flight in semiprivate. Only flight attendants, the captain, or an emergency could disturb them. Adam quickly took advantage of the silence feature cutting out the noise around him allowing a peaceful calm to settle upon him.
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“Hello Folks this is your captain speaking. My name is Captain Micheal Richards and I will be in charge of your flight today. We will be leaving in approximately fifteen minutes and I would like to remind everyone that use of mobile devices or tablets is prohibited upon take off and landing,” The speakers built into Adams seat came to life with the sonorous voice of the captain,
“Now I have some bad news folks, I am afraid that due to unforeseen Aurora activity in the magnetosphere the flight has been designated to a lower altitude. Sadly this will cause flight time to be extended by another forty-five minutes at least, so we can expect a roughly two hour flight today. Besides that no further delays are expected. We thank you for your patience and hope you enjoy your flight.”
“Dammit,” Adam cursed as the speakers went silent. He reached down into the compartment below his seat and fished out the itinerary sent from ARK whereupon he saw that the delay in the flight he would miss ARK’s initiation dinner in Tokyo. With a sigh of disappointment he placed the tablet back into his bag. Hopefully the flight would provide him with the dinner he needed instead.
A subsonic whine ran through the body of the jet that was more felt than heard as its engines came to life in preparation for departure. Deciding that he would deal with dinner later Adam set the alarm on his watch for an hour before closing his eyes and leaning back to try and take a nap.
Sometime later Adam awoke with a start, his instincts warning him that something was amiss. Rubbing his eyes to rid them of sleep he blurrily looked around at the cabin he was in, trying to locate the reason for his sense of unease. Stewardesses and stewards were moving throughout the cabin bringing snacks and drinks to those who requested them or just generally making their rounds.
Many people traveling together had moved their seats beside one another and were engaged in silent conversations. Others, like Adam had been, were fast asleep in their chairs where their dreams remained undisturbed. Unable to pinpoint the reason for his unsettledness Adam glanced at his watch. Only fifty minutes had passed in flight.
Reaching down he pressed a button on the side of his armrest bringing up a map of their flight. Currently the jet was over the Mid Pacific Ocean having long since passed the Islands of Hawaii with still more than half their flight remaining. Realizing the unease he felt wouldn’t go away and no longer able to sleep Adam decided he might as well eat dinner. Deactivating the alarm on his watch Adam pressed the flight attendant call button.
“Yes sir how may we be of service?” A cute brunette spoke through a holographic screen that phased into being beside him.
“ I was hoping I may be able to get something to eat?” Adam enquired of the woman on the screen.
“Certainly sir. We have a selection of different items available, everything from snacks to full meals if desired. As this is an ARK flight all meals and drinks are on the house though alcohol is limited to three drinks per person.” As she spoke the image switched to a menu of available items that Adam could select from.
Taking a moment to choose he selected a simple meal that would tide him over for the remainder of the flight.
“Thank you for your selection. Your food will be ready and brought to you shortly. Is their anything else I can help you with?” Coming back on screen the young woman looked Adam in the eyes she spoke.
“Actually there is. I was just wondering if everything was going ok with the flight? Like if there were any problems or anything we should be concerned about?” His nervousness must have been readily apparent as the young woman on screen attempted a reassuring smile that did little to put Adam at ease.
“Nervous flier? Well I can assure you everything is perfectly fine. If anything were to occur regarding the flight the captain would immediately inform the passengers of such. As it is the flight crew and engineers onboard are some of ARK’s finest, so rest assured you’re in safe hands. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m afraid I have another passenger requesting assistance. Take care and your food will be with you shortly” With a last smile from the young woman the screen vanished and Adam was left in silence with his own thoughts.
Taking a moment to ease his inner turmoil Adam attempted to take the woman’s words at face value and relax a little. Yet even as he tried to calm himself down he couldn’t rid himself of the feeling that something was inherently wrong. Sighing in frustration at his inability to relax Adam decided to chalk down his feelings to nerves at what lay ahead of him.
A short time later while trying to distract himself by reading the book he had earlier started his food arrived. A small robot that stood about half his height rolled up carrying his food inside a small compartment that kept it warm. After eating he looked at the flight map once again and saw that they were over halfway to Japan and he finally felt himself beginning to relax once more seeing that the trip was nearly over.
Deciding that he may as well stretch his legs and go to the bathroom before they arrived he shut down the silence field around his seat letting the slight background noises of the jet rush in like waves upon the shore. The subtle humming of the engines throbbed loudly in the background and the nearer voices of stewards and stewardesses going about their business flooded his ears.
Getting up from his seat he made his way towards the back of the jet where the closest washrooms were. But as he neared the washrooms he felt slight tremors run through the jet from back to front. They were so subtle that if his senses hadn’t already been on alert he likely would have never noticed them. As it stood he just barely felt the shaking and he remained stock still as his senses once again burst into over drive telling him something was wrong.
As he stayed there frozen trying to feel for any more tremors several men dressed no different from passengers calmly yet quickly made their way towards the rear of the compartment. Led by a calm and smiling steward the men passed by Adam quickly disappearing into the back of the jet. Adam caught a glimpse of their faces and noticed the grim look in their eyes hidden behind the calm façade they presented to others.
Concern growing within he decided to forgo his washroom break. Before he could take a step towards his seat another series of tremors ran through the jet. This time the tremors shook the jet slightly as they passed, catching the attention of many passengers who began looking around in curiosity. Across the compartment attendant lights started to activate as curious passengers sought answers to the strange rumble. Such shakes, normal for airplanes in the early twenty first century, had essentially been eradicated as newer forms of travel had been developed, becoming almost unheard of in the present. Moving forward Adam made it to his seat and had managed to buckle himself in just in time for another sudden tremor to pass through.
This time the tremor violently rocked the compartment around him. People standing were violently thrown to the ground as the floor heaved beneath their feet. Those who had been asleep were suddenly ripped from their peaceful dreams. Silence fields throughout the jet went into auto shut down letting the cries of distressed passengers and the moans of injured people filter throughout the area.
Noticing a young stewardess near him had fallen and was bleeding from her head Adam removed himself from his restraints and moved to help her. Kneeling beside the woman he offered his hand but it was obvious she was slightly delirious as she stared glassy eyed at Adam before reaching out to take his hand. Moving to try and help her up he reached down just as speakers throughout the jet came to life with the calming voice of their captain.
“Ladies and gentleman if I could please have your attention. It would seem the Aurora, which caused our flight to be lowered, was more powerful than previously reported. Due to electrical interference we have suffered several electrical failures in some minor systems and currently our engineers are working to fix the issue. This however means we will have to once more lower our flight in order to mitigate any further damage. But rest assured everything will be sorted out soon and we will be back on our way once more” The deep voice of the captain turned commanding as he continued to speak,
“We do ask that anyone with medical knowledge or first aid experience please report to the flight deck immediately. For others, if you can assist in moving those injured to safer positions if possible that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for you assistance and the flight will be back on schedule shortly.”
Only half listening to the captain’s speech Adam attempted to help the young woman to an empty seat nearby. With her weight leaning almost entirely upon him and her eyes looking around in a haze he struggled as he tried to lift her up. Thankfully a man nearby saw Adams struggles and came to his aid in moving the semi conscious woman.
Taking one arm over his shoulder and the man taking the other they clumsily made their way to a vacant seat where they got the girl safely buckled in. Throughout the compartment similar scenes were taking places as others aided those who had been injured in the tremor.
Adam turned to thank the man for his help but before he was able to utter the words a high-pitched sound of tortured metal sung its way throughout the jet. Covering his ears from the wailing of stressed metal Adam felt the floor beneath his feet suddenly fall away as he was violently launched towards the roof above him. Slamming into the ceiling he cried out in pain as his body was flung half hazardously into the smooth featureless metal. Before he could react beyond crying out he was propelled back towards the floor crashing upon the arm of a seat, his cries of pain silenced as his breath was knocked from his lungs.
Lying breathless and in pain Adam curled into a ball not paying attention to the chaos surrounding him. Across the jet cries of terror, anguish, and pain rang out as the distraught passengers gained a moment of peace. Lights throughout flickered in random sequences creating a patchwork network of dark and light that helped to hide the grizzly sight of the many injured or dead. People slowly began to rise from their seats or where they lay. Those that were capable lending a hand to those in need as it seemed the nightmare might have ended.
Amongst the shouts and cries of the injured voices of people trying to help began to filter into Adams distraught consciousness dragging him back beyond his world of pain. Lifting his head from where he lay Adam glanced around himself, his mind nebulous and barely holding onto conscious thought. Yet clouded as his mind was he was driven by an instinctual need to find safety. Adrenaline coursed through his body temporarily driving away the pain and shock, allowing his mind to clear enough to focus on his desperate need for sanctuary.
His limbs heavy and grunting in exertion he struggled to lift his numbed frame. Grinding his teeth together he forced his body to stand. Pushing the pain that threatened to overwhelm him he drove his uncooperative body forward. Step by step, inch by inch, swaying to and fro he forced his weak limbs to move closer to the safety of his seat. Stumbling forward he nearly tripped upon the body of a person splayed out upon the floor.
Eyes barely managing to focus, the image of the young man who assisted him earlier lay fallen before him. A large gash ran jagged upon his forehead while dark lifeless eyes stared up into nothingness as blood pooled around the mans head. Wrenching his eyes away from the horrific scene he forced the sight to the back of his mind and continued his way towards perceived safety. After what felt like an eternity he managed to reach his seat and buckled himself in.
Eventually after several minutes his ragged rapid breathing began to calm as his body came down from its adrenaline high. Pain wormed its way back to the forefront of his mind and dared to fill his entire being. With it though he was able to take stock of his injuries. Fire erupted from his right arm, which judging by the fact he could barely move, likely meant it was broken or somehow worse. His left leg refused to cooperate as a strange numbing sensation wormed its way up his body.
His breathing was shallow but not hindered and his chest only felt greatly bruised from where he had landed. A devastating headache sat at the back of his head making conscious thoughts a struggle. In all he counted himself lucky unlike many others on the flight who wouldn’t be making it home. Struggling to remain awake he didn’t notice a quite yet prevalent thrumming resting in the background.
For several minutes the passengers of flight AC3332 managed to cling to the hope their terrible experience was behind them. Only a small few realized that no word had yet come from the captain or his crew as most were busy trying to aid those desperately in need. A stormy calm had settled upon the chaos around them broken only by quite moans and calls for assistance.
Yet even those soon quieted down as the slight thrumming sound Adam had failed to notice began to build into a terrible thundering. Screams of terror and prayers for help tore themselves from the ragged throats of desperate passengers; their nightmare had not yet ended.
With an almighty roar the rear compartment suddenly burst forward as a wave of heat and fire exploded fourth from the engineering section. The heavy steel doors protecting the back turned into missiles as they were flung like toys through the passenger compartment. They tore through seats like tissue paper as people were crushed or shredded by shrapnel from their passing. The improvised projectiles came to rest almost halfway down the compartment a trail of death and destruction trailing behind them. Following quickly after the fire cooked its way forward roasting those too near the back who had been lucky enough to survive the initial explosion. Thankfully the deadly doors had missed Adams chair as he lay nearly unconscious in his seat.
The girl he had helped however had been killed instantly as shrapnel ripped through her body. Smaller electrical explosions occurred across the compartment as power surged forth from malfunctioning generators. Smoke started to build and accumulate throughout as air scrubbers meant to keep the air clean died. Without power the engines of the jet no longer provided the thrust needed to keep the sleek craft moving forward. With inevitability like that of the rising of the sun gravity took hold of the doomed jet and its passengers. Flames shooting out the back drew a tail of fire across the night sky as a new meteor hurtled towards the Earth.
Adam sat vaguely aware of all occurring around him. His body numb and ears deaf from the explosion. His breath coming in short gasps as he choked on smoke polluted air. He attempted to remove his restraints knowing that a person should be low to the ground when there was fire but his body was too weak and uncoordinated to work the locking mechanism. He flapped about weakly trying to get free when gravity seemed to disappear.
At first people and objects not tied down began to float in the air. Shouts of surprise came from those who suddenly found themselves weightless off the floor. Adam watched as people flailed about trying to get a grip on anything solid around them. They weren’t quick enough.
As quickly as gravity had vanished Newton’s laws came into deadly effect. Without supports to hold onto they were unable to match the downward acceleration of the rapidly moving jet liner. With horrifying results the people unable to get a grip all at once met with the rear of the jet hurtling towards them. Both people and objects became deadly projectiles as they rushed towards the back of the plane with gruesome results.
The two heavy doors rocketed towards the back of the engineering compartment with incredible force that proved too great for the weakened structure to withstand. With a shearing of metal the entire rear of the compartment separated away from the rest of the jet liner. Wind whipped at Adams face as he witnessed the rear move away with terror gripping his heart.
He prayed in that moment. Prayed to God or any god that may listen. He didn’t want to die, he didn’t want for everything to end even before it had begun. Too many regrets still remained, there were too many things he still wanted to do. It’s in the deepest moments of despair that people truly realize who they are and what they wanted in life. Adam wanted to live. To see the unmitigated imagination of humanity make the impossible possible as they raced to the stars. He wanted to have his first real girlfriend. He wished Mike could be there as his best man one day when he’d get married to her.
He wanted his parents to be present when he finally started a family and they got to meet their grandchild. Adam wished he could rub it in his sister’s face when he won a Nobel Prize for some great discovery. More than anything he wanted to tell his family and friends he loved them. Images of his short life played through his head, a collage of pictures and past events blurred past his vision. Reliving each sacred moment once again he closed his eyes as tears poured from his face. Then with an almighty crash the jet crashed into the ocean the shock of which slammed into his body making his world go dark.
Less than three miles Away…
“Is the target down?”
“Yes sir, target is confirmed down.”
“Good begin extraction of the package. Make certain it’s alive and remember to protect the brain at all costs. It wont do if it gets here and all we have is a husk. Is that clear?”
“Sir, Yes Sir!”