“We’re all clear for take off. Please don’t ignore the seat belt icon. My sensors are telling me that passenger in row 56, seat 4 is being a rebel. Put that seat-belt on”
Saylee watched at the flight attendant put away the safety brief props. She waved to get the flight attendants attention.
The attendant noticed and strode down the aisle towards her. Saylee had to wait a bit as the attendant was frequently stopped by other seated passengers who tapped on her arm with questions.
Saylee could see a hint of annoyance each time a passenger tapped on her arm to get her attention.
I’d get annoyed too if people randomly kept tapping my arm all day.
Eventually, the attendant made it up to stand by Saylee’s seat, “Sorry for the wait, how may I assist you?”
“Hi, sorry. I had a question. Uh, sorry. I don’t see your name tag. It was Serina right?”
“Yes, that’s me”
“I..um. I’m sorry Serina, but I’m sorry if this is a dumb question. During your brief you displayed a flotation device. I don’t understand why we’d need that traveling through space”
Serina tried to hide a smirk but failed, she returned to her usual pleasant customer service smile, “You wouldn’t be the first to ask but surprisingly, not many ask. Don’t be embarrassed as It’s a reasonable question”
Josh, turned his attention to the conversation, while Crackle, sitting between them, had his face into his hands.
Serina continued, “you see, the flotation device has multiple purposes. It has a built in beacon, LED lights, and additional emergency air supply hook up. In addition, at the very unlikely chance that this craft is sent UN-expectantly towards some planet and is going to impact directly into…water…” She grimaced and then shook her head. After a second, her smile returned, “the device, of course, at that point, will help passengers float on water”
Saylee stared at Serina. She was speechless, as she didn’t know what to say.
Josh spoke up, “The flotation device being able to float on water makes sense. If the craft happens to be at the point where it is going to make impact towards some surface, how safe is this craft?”
Serina frowned. The attendant took a moment to chose her words carefully before she spoke, “Continuation Inc. has never had a recorded incident. The safety brief is more of a formality”
Josh, and Serina stared at attendant in disbelief. Crackle peaked from his hands in curiosity.
Saylee spoke, “You’re saying that there has never been issues with space travel, no….issues at all?”
Serina gave Saylee a reassuring smile, “None at all. With modern technology, space travel is completely safe. We have safety briefs just in case…just in case”
Josh furrowed his brows, “So, the seat belts, the safety gear, it’s all redundant?”
Serina nodded, “Yes, one can never be too safe”
“What about if there was an incident and there was casualties. Will those who die be reborn once again since it wasn’t their fault?”
Serina looked uncomfortable, “Since there have never been any incidents or…” she leaned in, and spoke in a softer tone, “I suppose that I’m supposed to reassure you that everything will be okay and that Continuation will bring you back if anything happens during this journey but I don’t want to lie. I can’t…say for certain. I don’t know”
Cackle looked up and leaned towards Serina, he spoke in a hushed tone, “What do you mean you don’t know? You’re telling me that if I die on this flight, I don’t just get a new body and start all over?”
Serina glanced around, once she was certain there was no other staff around, she spoke in a hushed tone again, “All I can say for sure is that….what is true. I know this for when I lived on New Earth. If you die again, that’s it. You’re off to be reviewed”
Saylee spoke up, “reviewed?”
“Reviewed is the more corporate friendly term they use. Informally, it’s judgment. You’re off to be officially judged for your life’s choices. The final judgment before being sent to your next and final stage in your journey”
“but, that doesn’t seem fair. If someone dies too soon, after being reborn, that doesn’t right”
Josh spoke, “that’s how most people thought the cycle was. You know, you live, you die, you get judged for your life’s choices. That cycle made sense to me. This after life journey before judgment does not. This whole being reborn thing seems like a unexpected blessing that I believe most are unprepared for. So, if anyone can die at anytime, can any of these really ever be fair?”
“What? No, that’s not what I mean” Saylee’s voice started to gradually rise, “If I got reborn with a new body, I’d expect at least a grace period. Dying too soon after being reborn doesn’t seem ethical. Like a sick joke. So if the people who bring me back to life, accidentally kill me with their tech before I get a chance to fully experience this new life again, I expect to be brought back for their error”
Serina motioned her hands to indicate to Saylee to lower her tone, “please bring down your tone, freaking out the other passengers is only going to make my job harder and the rest of your journey on this flight unpleasant”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Saylee took a deep breath before she spoke, “I’m sorry, I’m just a little overwhelmed. Can you…can you please at least tell me that you know of someone who got brought back to life if they died too soon in this afterlife”
Serina glanced around. She noticed multiple onlookers, trying to ease drop. She sighed, clearly giving up trying to keep the conversation private, “I…can say this. I have never met anyone, and I have never heard of anyone. Being brought back to life after they die a second time, regardless of the situation, even if it’s not fair”
The flight attendant clearly looked anxious with all the concerned expressions.
Serina stood up straight, “I’m sorry, but I can’t continue this conversation”. She turned around and strode off.
The deck was deadly silent. The passengers dwelling on the words of the flight attendant.
----------------------------------------
The dim red light at the center of the ceiling suddenly switched into a fluorescent white. Saylee glanced up at the touch screen above her seat that acted as a passenger service unit above her seat. The tiny light of the seat belt icon on the screen fade away.
“Hello hello. This is your Captain speaking. I don’t expect any large or tiny space crumbs to disturb us the rest of the journey. In case you’re wondering, yes I like to call the tiny space rocks little space crumbs. My co-pilot Jamison doesn’t find it amusing as I do but that’s too bad for him, for I am the Captain. I’m calling all them little asteroids and comets that float around us to be now known as space crumbs because they are nothing to fear”
Throughout the cabin, Saylee could hear a few chuckles, as well as a few passengers groaning.
“I am glad to say, for the next 16 hours, I expect a smooth flight. Feel free to roam around the cabin, get a fun drink and enjoy yourselves at the lounge”
The intercom shut off and several people quickly stood up from their seats, making their way towards the stairs.
Saylee assumed their were heading to the few amenities located the deck below. She glanced to her right, the two men seated next to her were fast asleep.
She quietly stood up to stretch, acting carefully not to wake those next to her.
She subconsciously reached for her pockets. Grimacing as she realized she was reaching for a nonexistent cellphone in her pocket.
I miss my phone.
She observed more people leave the rows in the cabin towards the stairway towards the front of the cabin.
Glancing around at the remaining people in the cabin, she saw some were asleep, and others were just staring out their nearby windows, deep the though. The stars shown outside the windows were flying past, looking nothing more than strings of light as the craft moved forward at a fascinating and somewhat terrifying speed.
This is crazy…here I am, on an spaceship in space. Moving at who knows how fast and I can’t even feel the damned ship moving.
She smirked and shook her head.
This makes more sense than that van I was on earlier. Wait, why was it a van anyways? It doesn’t even make sense, none of this makes sense. There’s a fake gravity holding me down and I’m breathing air but…something should make sense at some point, Right? I’m no space expect. I need to go with the flow. For here on out, for my own sanity, I wont question how any of this makes sense-
She jerked forwards, her head bumping into the headrest of the seat in front of hers.
Outcry could be heard from the deck below.
She rubbed her forehead,
Ow.
A crimson glow emitted around the cabin.
A voice spoke through the intercom, “This is your co-pilot Jamison speaking, please calmly and quickly return to your seats, we-”
The intercom was abruptly cut off.
Several screams could be heard from below.
She glanced over her seat, looking towards the stairwell at the edge of the cabin. She noticed people were running up the stairs in a panic. A metal gate was slowly closing downwards from the ceiling.
The panicked expressions of the people rushing up the stairs changed to pure terror as they noticed the gate slowly lowering down.
Saylee, could hear what sounded like short bursts of a static-like noise between the screams downstairs. The static sound reminded her of the sounds you’d hear when manually search through radio stations.
The gate fully closed down. Saylee could hear fists pounding against the gate. Saylee could hear the pleas from the other side of the gate, begging to be let in.
Saylee turned to look behind her, a door that read Employee’s Only at the back wall of the cabin swung open. Their flight attendant, Serina, sped walked towards the front of the cabin. The flight attendant hesitantly turned to face the passengers, her expression looked pained, as she was struggling to maintain composure as she spoke. “Please put your seat belts on and remain calm while we wait for further instructions”
Many passengers started to shout, throwing questions at the anxious flight attendant.
Josh, wide awake now from the commotion, stood up, “Hey, hey HEY! All of you quiet the hell down, let her speak. She’ll answer questions one at a time”
A man, three rows in front of Saylee, stood up and turned to stare at Josh, “Who do you think you are? How you shut-”
Josh pointed a finger at, his voice stern “You better shut your mouth before I head over there and shut it for you”
The man, curled his lip and stared at Josh for what felt like a minute. Before the man can snap back with a retort, Josh cut him off.
Josh raised a fist into the air, “Shut it, listen”
The entire cabin went silent.
The fists pounding on the gate barrier have ceased.
The entire cabin stared at gate, he silencing deafening.
Saylee felt her heart rate increase in anticipation.
Serina, wiped sweat off her forehead and raised her hands, “Now, everyone, Please. Remain silent. We must be patient and wait for further instructions-”
A beam of electricity pierced through the bottom of the gates barrier. The beam began to slowly move upwards, sparks flying in multiple directions. Hot metal slag dripped down the metal gate as the beam was in motion.
The beam was emitting static noises that pained Saylee’s eardrums.
A person sitting in the first row shrieked, “They’re getting in, they’re getting in!”
Other voices around the cabin yelled in panic. The volume rising as the beam
Serina, visibly shaking as the passengers yelled in her direction. Her eyes danced from the gate barrier to the few dozen eyes throughout the cabin looking in direction.
A loud bang emitted from behind the gate barrier was enough for Serina to bold towards the employees only room at the other end of the cabin.
A few passengers tried to reach her, to stop her. Serina quickly smacked their hands away. She ran into the small employee’s only room used for flight attendants. She smacked her palm onto the entry pad. The door slid open and Serina hastily rushed in. Her palm smacked onto the wall panel on the other side. The door quickly sliding shut.
The beam was now turning, creating an arch.
Saylee stared at the beams movement before she frowned.
They will eventually cut their way in, whoever they are.
She glanced over to Josh, who was staring at the stairway gate barrier with a pensive expression.
“Josh”
The man didn’t hear her from the depth of his thoughts.
“Josh”
Again, the man didn’t hear her.
“Hey Josh, Josh; JOSH!”, she shook his shoulder.
Josh, returning from his deep thoughts, blinked twice and shook his head, “what, what, what is it?”
Saylee grabbed his shoulders, her eyes staring directly into his eyes.
Josh, his eyes were locked in place as her eyes were piercing directly into his own with such ferocity.
“I will not die twice in one week. The people in charge of this crap afterlife aren’t going to help us now. I got a plan, and you seem good enough to me. Are you with me?
His stoic expression had melted away as he broke out into a wry grin, “I’m hooked, now hurry up and reel me in. What did you need me to do?”