First Activation

“No, we had a relatively short flight. There was a bit of turbulence, but nothing unusual until the Captain told us that the plane was diverting to Newark. As you can imagine, we all started to get worried. There was no more information and the plane landed, but stopped short of the terminal. We waited for help but the whole place was deserted and loads of passengers started to panic…”

“So the captain didn’t say what was happening? How did you get off the plane?” Bernie asked.

“We were told that there was a temporary lock-down due to a terrorist attack and we needed to sit tight until it was safe to disembark. We all believed it at first, why would you doubt it? Could there be any other explanation?”

The last comment hung in the air as Lea seemed to search our face for answers.

“Your story sounds similar to ours so far. What happened next?” Jack replied.

“We all spent the first night on the plane in total darkness. I was sat in a window seat with a couple of teachers called Chris and Mike next to me, they were from Detroit. Chris grabbed a bottle of wine from their bag and they debated the quality of local schools, mixed with stupid stories about kids they taught. I kept quiet and only spoke when they asked me a couple of questions about my own life. Their constant droning almost made me scream.”

I was starting to wonder about the relevance, but kept quiet. Bernie was less obliging.

“You wanted to scream because people were talking? Come on, Lea.”

“You know some people are so concerned by their own little nests, they are oblivious to what’s going on around them. Listening to Chris and Mike, I knew they were so secure and in their own little world. I wished I could feel the same, but somehow, I knew that it was all much more serious than a lock-down.”

“Fair enough, carry on,” I quickly said, before Bernie could reply.

“I managed to sleep for a couple of hours once the teachers had exhausted their conversation. At first light, there was still no news. With the passengers now thoroughly pissed, the captain made an announcement. He told us there was no contact with anyone on the ground with the exception of a few others planes that had landed around the same time as us. Well, the whole plane erupted in shouts and screams, people started to get up and bump into each other, some started fighting and other crazy shit. It all settled down with repeated pleas from the loudspeaker and the appearance of an Air Marshal.”

“We never had one of those on our plane, but I was asked if I was one,” Jack replied.

I topped up all of our glasses apart from Lea’s. She picked up her glass, swallowed the vodka with a single gulp and held her glass towards me. I smiled, poured her a drink, and she continued with her story.

“The Air Marshal spoke with authority and told us that he would go to the terminal building and use their long-range radio. He jumped down from the front entrance and I saw him walking towards the building, he never came back.”

“Sounds like we had more luck than the Air Marshal,” I said.

“You think?” Bernie replied.

I thought for a moment and shook my head.

Lea looked at us both, probably waiting to see if I was going to answer Bernie with a verbal reply. I didn’t.

She continued, “Chaos broke out again, this time a group forced their way out of the plane after deploying a slide. They ran away from the terminal towards the perimeter fence. The captain repeated his pleas to stay in the plane but all control had been lost, and some groups started to make a break for it. Chris and Mike were annoyed at the behaviour of other passengers, but agreed to form a small group with some of the surrounding people and head towards Manhattan. I joined them thinking it was better than sitting on the plane, and we headed out. I reckon at least half of the passengers remained on the plane when we left, a few I spoke to, thought an extended cordon was in place.”

“I wonder who gave them that idea,” Jack said.

Lea paused again and looked at the three of us.

“Go on,” I nodded.

“There were twelve of us in a pretty mixed group. Most started to panic once we left the airport, bodies were everywhere. Chris thought it must have been a dirty bomb, it seemed to make sense. We walked along an overpass when a good-looking man in a flashy suit appeared from behind a vehicle. He was friendly at first, and offered to lead us to safety…”

“I think I know what’s coming,” Bernie said.

“When an old lady from our group approached him, he pulled half a brick from inside his jacket and smashed her skull open. He was like a fucking wild animal. Before anyone could blink, he hurled himself off the bridge head first onto the highway below.”

“That figures,” Jack said.