Thriller Far Cry: An Island Survival Adventure

Flight 346
Los Angeles, California

Near the back of the line of passengers boarding the plane was an unassuming Spanish family of three. The husband was tall and lanky, the wife much shorter and also thin, and the young boy of about seven or eight years was holding her hand and had a Power Rangers backpack strapped around his shoulders. After the pilots greeted them it became apparent that they didn't speak English and a stewardess approached them with a warm smile and placed her hand gently on the boy's shoulder.

"Buenos dias," her voice was soft and friendly. "¿Puedo ayudarte a encontrar tu asiento?"

The man and woman both smiled and nodded their heads and voiced their gratitude and gave their tickets to the stewardess. "Bueno," she said. "Esta manera." The boy stared up at the stewardess as she turned and he followed the adults down the aisle still holding his mother's hand in his own.

The stewardess smiled at the passengers already seated as she passed them, and then she came upon a couple seated in the row she was looking for. The woman was busy on her phone and the man was dully staring ahead.

"Excuse me," she greeted them with a comely smile. "Hi, I'm sorry, but I believe you two may be in the wrong seats." She gestured to the Spanish family beside her. "May I see your tickets?"

Tag: HanSolo29

 

Reynar approved!

Name: Dao-ming "Sally" Leong
Gender: Female
Age: 24
Appearance: 5'7" 125lbs, usually wearing casual clothing in public, a few racing labels on her jacket and cap if she decided to wear one.

Occupation: Touring Car Driver (Rookie)
Biography: The third child of one of China's many new millionaires, she lived a relatively easy life, as far as money is concerned. Having to keep up appearances at many of her family's parties and dealing with the prospects of being married to help solidify a relationship with another wealthy family, she began to vocalize her discontent with not only her life but the lives of the poor and downtrodden in the cities and farms of the mainland. Fortunately for her, being in Hong Kong, her parents were able to send her to university in America before things went badly for them. With her seemingly limitless monetary support she did poorly in school, spending money buying into her various interests, as studies in business and economics held no real significance in her life. Skipping out on study she began taking up amateur go-karting, racing for a few teams until she was able to barely graduate.

Returning home (and to her parent's disappointment) she made an agreement with them to never speak out publicly against the state and her family, maybe even marry one of their prospects for her, so long as they fund her racing career until she can make it on her own. Two years later driving the Hong Kong and Chinese Touring Car Championships, she was being scouted to race in the Asian Touring Car Series, then hopefully being able to compete on the global stage as one of the few young up and coming drivers. Having almost enough money to be able to take care of herself, she decided to use her money to get away one more time, probably the last time before she and her parents settled on a suitor. Taking a long vacation back in California to visit friends from college and the racing circuit then on to Portugal for the start of a month or two traveling across Europe, hopefully making connections with other racing teams; her publicist/assistant already helping to set up meetings for her. Sally's parents agreed to help pay for the trip, hoping it would be the final nail in the coffin of her rebellious ways; that she would at least be a respectable wife along with being a minor celebrity.

---

Dao-ming "Sally" Leong
LAX

Remembering how much she hated traveling in American airports, Sally's bad mood had turned even worse; take your shoes off, throw this away, that needs to go through the machine again because it looks different when you don't take it out of your carry-on for no reason at all, take your belt off please, jacket too, move your hair while I check your passport, do you have a second ID?

Thanks to her college friends still knowing how to party, a throbbing headache, and dry eyes... Well rough mornings usually follow good nights. She bought a bottle of water from a small shop near her gate, checking her pass again to see where she had to go, oh; all the way on the other side of the building. She sighed, going back to the shop to buy some advil, taking the pills and downing half of her water. The woman working the shop looked at her slightly puzzled. What you don't see someone stranger than a hungover twenty-something in an international airport? she thought, now walking in the correct direction with frustration making her head hurt more. Sally put on her pair of Oakley sunglasses her contract required her to wear if she wanted to wear sunglasses, providing relief from the light permeating through the long hallway. Getting paid to wear them and not having to meet eyes with passers-by, it was two gifts at once.

Overall though, the vacation was great, well needed. A few days on the track at Sonoma with her old racing buddies, a winery tour or two, then her college friends in LA taking her out to party. Right down to the last night she was in town before dropping her off at the airport. Fortunately she didn't pack too much, most of what she needed was in her backpack; a change of clothes in those air tight bags to save space, travel size big brother approved toiletries that allowed her to get through security without sacrificing her hygiene, a book, some snacks, her tablet, a waterproof go-pro, and two chargers. There was also her hoodie and a matching ball cap, adorned with a few of her various sponsors logos, her shirt just had her team name; Vive Le Sport written in simple cursive. It was a joint owned team of French and Chinese auto manufacturers, headed by Renault, hence the French name.

Arriving at the gate just in time to be the last one on the plane, she held up her ticket, first class of course. Remembering to take off her sunglasses, show her passport, and a second I.D.

She could never understand why Americans liked to make things so damn complicated.

---

The pilots were already sitting in the cockpit as she stepped on board, a steward smiled and gestured to the aisle, Sally tried to smile back but it probably wasn't convincing and immediately ordered a mimosa, ahead of her a stewardess was leading a family to their seats. Before she sat down she stowed her sunglasses and took out her hoodie, it's dark blue contrasting the white labels of some car part manufacturer, her Mahmah and Baba's corporation, the team name, and a few consumer electronics. Fortunately it wasn't the cluttered eyesore her racewear was. Sitting down, putting her hood up, she put on some expensive noise cancelling headphones, checking her phone as the music drowned out whatever the headset didn't. Trying to remember what had happened last night, she scrolled through an email from her publicist;

Hello Ms. Leong, I hope you're enjoying your vacation.

Found an article you might be interested in,

You've got a few meetings scheduled for your trip across Europe, you'll have a week before your first one after you arrive though, so go enjoy the Portuguese and Spanish sunshine! Take care to plan ahead, I hate to think what would happen to you without me there.

Attached is the calendar of your meetings.

- Jean Depardieu, Vive le Sport

Sally definitely didn't want to open that. Not right now. Thinking about work made her wish she could have that mimosa already. Hopefully the meds would kick in soon, she did have a couple snacks in her bag that might help...

"Oh, hello," a woman's voice said beside her, she snapped out of her browsing, noise cancellation technology has only come so far.... Sally looked out of the corner of her eye, her hair partially blocking her view but hopefully whoever was next to her wouldn't notice, she didn't particularly feel like being social. She adored her fans and was grateful to have them, but right now she didn't feel up for it, although she doubted anyone on the plane would know who she was unless they knew a thing or two about niche racing leagues...

The two next to her continued talking and the steward brought her mimosa, asking her to finish her drink before they made their way to the runway, she gave a thumbs up and listened in on the others talking through her music.

Tags: Ktala, Point Given

OOC: I usually do pretty elaborate intros, hope you liked it, please don't be put off by it! Also, Sally's text language and what not will all be in Chinese so unless your character can understand it it's all just character info and development for you, the reader, to enjoy.

 

Carrie Bander
LAX - On plane

As the man took his seat, another person, squeezed their way into the other open seat. Carrie wasnt sure if it was a meal or female at first, since they was covered up, and wearing large sunglasses. The person stole a glance in her direction, and Carrie decided that it was possibly female. The woman was wearing headphones, a huge do not disturb sign. Carrie simply nodded to the woman, and then Carrie continued with her conversation with the man.

"Oh, Hello" Carrie said to the young man sitting down next to her. He smiled. Hmmmm Not bad. "Sorry about that." He looked at the papers in his hands. "I was too caught up in making sure I didn't drop them."

Carrie looked over, nodding. "I understand. Getting sorted in these seats is always a pain. Not enough hands, or space." she chuckled softly. The man seemed to understand. He continued to speak. "So, are you staying in Portugal or just stopping by to fly elsewhere?" Well, at least one passenger seemed willing to be social. Carrie smiled, adjusting herself to turn slightly towards the man.

"Ah.. I'm staying in Portugal. First time there. And I'm really looking forward to it. My first real vacation in ages."
Carrie paused for a moment, and then continued. "And what about yourself? Are you also going to Portugal?" she asked.



TAG: Point Given, Heavy Isotope

 

The Stewardess
Flight 346, Los Angeles International

"I'm sorry. It's such an easy thing to overlook with all the excitement. You wouldn't believe the last time I actually had time off to enjoy a vacation."

The stewardess gave a friendly smile as she took the tickets from the woman, who was thankfully quite amicable compared to other passengers who'd had the same issue arise in the past. "You'd be surprised at how often it happens, believe me." She looked down at the tickets. "Ah, you're just one row off. You guys are gonna be up here." The stewardess gestured to the row in front of the married couple to where Haley Gordon and Matty Blake were hitting it off. The young woman in the window seat wouldn't have to move, but the man in the middle wasn't where he was supposed to be and the stewardess could guess why he chose that particular spot. She begrudgingly approached him.

"Excuse me, sir? I think you may be in the wrong seat, we've had a little bit of a mix-up. Can I see your ticket to see where you should be?" She gave her best smile as she knew the man wouldn't be happy to have to leave his new acquaintance. Of course, little did any of them know, the two wouldn't be separated for long.

Tag: HanSolo29, spacelady, NickLitYouAFlame

 

Mathias Blake
Airplane, LAX

Mathias had slightly tensed when the stewardess walked by. But she continued to the row behind them and questioned the couple sitting there about their seats. Mathias relaxed and was about to comment on how Haley definitely looked like a physical trainer, when the stewardess turned her attention to him.

“Excuse me, sir? I think you may be in the wrong seat, we've had a little bit of a mix-up. Can I see your ticket to see where you should be?"

Mathias smiled at the woman and said, “No worries, ma’am. I was just giving some encouragement to my friend. She’s a nervous flyer.” He turned and winked at Haley. “I’ll talk to you later.”

Mathias grabbed his bag and stood, allowing the couple to take their rightful seats. In row 22, he could see his friends laughing.

Tag: spacelady, HanSolo29, Reynar_Tedros

 

IC as Haley Gordon

This would be a great flight! They hadn't even left from the gate yet and she was having a great conversation with a fellow passenger, who was also heading to the same destination. What were the odds? She smiled as their conversation was easy going and light. Well, they only just met, but still. It was nice! Especially when she could've sat next to a grumpy person.

Haley only briefly took notice of a stewardess walking down the row and stop at the seats just behind them. Probably to help with some problem or another. A family of three followed in her wake. She did hear mention of mixed up seats but turned her focus back onto Mathias. It wasn't her business to listen in.

Until the flight attendant looked in their direction.

“Excuse me, sir? I think you may be in the wrong seat, we've had a little bit of a mix-up. Can I see your ticket to see where you should be?"

Haley blinked at Mathias. He was in the wrong seat? That was too bad, she thought and wondered who would be her new flight partners.

Mathias offered his cool smile, "No worries, ma’am. I was just giving some encouragement to my friend. She’s a nervous flyer. I’ll talk to you later.” he stated with a parting wink at her.

Haley did her best to hold in a laugh as she watched him grab his bag and head further back on the plane. She shook her head slightly, amused by his attitude and then looked to see a man and a woman. They were supposedly going to be sitting next to her. She offered a warm smile in greeting and motioned with her hand to the empty seats next to her.

Tag: HanSolo29, NickLitYouAFlame, and Reynar_Tedros

 

The Stewardess
Flight 346, Los Angeles International

This was going well. If only all of her passengers could be this cooperative. She smiled and thanked Mathias as he walked back to his giggling group of friends and then she turned back to the married couple.

"Thank you for your cooperation, I apologize for the confusion," she told them. "Sir, you can have a seat here," she gestured to the middle seat next to Haley a row in front of their previous seats, "and ma'am if you'll just have a seat here," she gestured to the aisle seat. "Thank you both again, we should be ready for takeoff momentarily. Do you guys need anything else?"

The Spanish family continued to stand by patiently.

Tag: HanSolo29

 

Carrie Bander
LAX - Flight 346


"And what about yourself? Are you also going to Portugal?" Carrie asked the man. "Only for an hour, I'm taking a connecting flight to Berlin." He nodded ruefully at his papers. "Gonna have to read all of this beforehand." She looked down at the mass of paperwork in front of him, as he sighed. Then he was going to busy, and no longer chatty. She shook her head gently, in sympathy. Berlin didnt sound quite as fun as Portugal.

"I wish I could stay in Portugal though." he stated aloud, while Carrie looked over at him. She smiled. The man hurried to elaborate. "I've only been once; I really enjoyed Lisbon of course, but Coimbra and Aveiro are fantastic, I highly recommend them. Will you be visiting anywhere near there?"

Carrie smiled. "I'm going to be visiting as much of the area as I can. And hoping to even sneak in a bit of hiking while Im here as well. I know Lisbon is on my list of places, and maybe Aveiro. I'm glad to hear that they are fantastic places to go. Im really plan to let my hair down on this vacation." Carrie chuckled softly. She then extended her hand. "I'm Carrie by the way. I'm sorry you only get to an hour layover. I wish you luck with that." she stated, gesturing to his mass of paperwork. "But with a 15 hour flight, perhaps you'll get a break." Carrie gave him a nod.



TAG: Point Given, Heavy Isotope

 

Flight 346
Los Angeles, California

It didn't take very long for all the passengers to find their seats and settle in despite a couple of mix-ups here and there. Friendly conversations had sprouted during the wait and finally the pilots were ready to get going and the stewardesses stood spread out in the middle of the aisles to begin their pre-flight safety briefing, demonstrating how to use the seatbelts, noting the locations of the emergency exits (a few rows ahead of Haley Gordon and the Cochrans) and the emergency life vests and flotation devices (a couple rows behind Mathias Blake and his companions), and of course reminders that smoking was prohibited and any electronics must be turned off until the aircraft reached cruising altitude, among other minor details that many passengers didn't bother paying attention to.

After all of this, the airplane began to back up from the airport and the sound of the engines could easily be heard in the cabin, that old familiar hum. The aircraft sped down the runway, gaining speed until finally the wheels lifted off from the ground and the plane was fully in the air, tilted upwards and approaching the clear blue sky. It wouldn't be long before the airplane was cruising at the pilots' desired altitude, and all that was left to do for the passengers was sit back, relax, and keep themselves occupied for the next twelve hours.

The vacation of a lifetime was officially underway.

Tag: @spacelady, @HanSolo29, @Ktala, @Point Given, @NickLitYouAFlame, Heavy Isotope

 

IC as Haley Gordon

The woman who would be sitting in the currently empty aisle seat was speaking with the flight attendant and the man who would be taking Mathias' spot greeted her with a, "Good morning,”. He had short brown hair and what looked like hazel eyes behind glasses.

Haley flashed a warm smile in return. "Morning!" She said cheerfully and watched him scoot in, taking up him correct seat. She couldn't tell if the man and woman were traveling together or not, if they were, they didn't appear very close. Friends maybe? Siblings? Or just strangers on the same flight?

“That’s not exactly how I wanted to start my vacation, I hope gets better from here.” He murmured while attempting to get his bag under the chair in front of him.

Haley, being the ever helpful one, quickly leaned forward, trying to help push it under. After a moment, the bag slid contently, if a bit squished, under. "There you go. And hey, no worries! I'm sure it happens all the time. And besides, I'm kind of vacay mode too. Beautiful beaches and city life await us! That is, if you're staying in Portugal." She gave a lopsided, cheerful grin at him.

She nodded in greeting to the lady with the dark blonde hair when she finally sat down in the aisle seat and then felt the plane began to move backwards away from the gate. The flight attendants went over the safely checklist, to which she halfhesrtedly listened to. It was all routine.

Tag: HanSolo29

 

Dao-ming "Sally" Leong
Flight 346

The flight began to taxi out, the crew went about with their regular announcements, Sally took off her headphones and could hear everything... Ugh. She downed the last of her drink as a steward walked by to collect it once the safety announcements were over. This was her favorite part, she timed it all perfectly, as the plane began to accelerate and take off her headache medicine kicked in.

She breathed a sigh of relief and looked over to the others, "Flying nerves, you know," she made a quiet hollow laugh to back up her lie. Smiling slightly at the others. Her voice sounded young, her accent clearly Chinese but living in California and racing on the international stage made her quite easily understood. If she spoke any more one might hear a bit of west coast in her voice.

Ktala, Point Given

 

Carrie Bander
Flight 346

The flight began to taxi out, the crew went about with their regular announcements, Carrie had them almost memorized, she had heard them so many times before. The woman next to her took off her headset, as she downed the last of her drink as a steward walked by to collect th glass. No too long after that, the planes began to move, and was soon pointing skyward, heading for the clear blue skies above them. Carrie looked out the window. She always loved this part of the flight.

Carrie noted the woman gave a deep sigh, and then looked over towards the man she had been talking to, and herself. "Flying nerves, you know," she stated, offhandedly, as she made a small laugh, following up with a smile. Carrie simply nodded.

"Well, it seems the skies are nice and clear. With any lucky, it should be a smooth flight. Maybe they will even have a decent in-flight movie to keep your mind off of it."

Carrie leaned back in her seat, and smiled. She had interesting seat mates this flight. A man with far too many papers to read, and a girl who seemed to enjoy hiding behind sunglasses and hoodies. Carrie did notice that there was some sort of logo on the girls stuff, and it seemed sports related. But she didnt want to disturb the woman, who was definitely giving off the vibe 'Do Not Disturb.' Still, you never know. A few drinks later, she might decide to talk. Ah well. As soon as the plane was level, Carrie rang for the flight attendant to bring her a soda.



TAG: Point Given, Heavy Isotope

 

GM Approved!


Name: Leon Dufort
Gender: Male
Age: 52
Appearance: Slender, fairly tall, tone build, wears a suit.
Occupation: Retired military: French Foreign Legion.
Biography:

Ever since Leon was a child he was focused on seeing the world.

Coming from a background of little money in the working class section of Marseille he knew that his opportunities to fulfill his dreams would be few and far between working in the shipyards of the busy French port.

Enter the Foreign Legion.

Enlisting at 18, against his family's wishes, Leon got his first taste of military life during the Lebanese Civil War of the early 1980s. While the operation was mainly one of peackeeeping the rugged violence of the civil war which was to consume Lebanon for the next 15 years stayed with him. Leon would serve in a variety of countries throughout much of his military career.

Somewhere in the maelstrom of rapid deployments, Leon found time to marry a Portugese woman and put down roots. Realizing that his time in the legion wasn't conducive to married life, Leon retired from active duty following a tour in Afghanistan.

In his spare time he enjoys hobby farming, wine tasting, and horse back riding. It was his love of horses that brought him to Los Angeles in the first place. Always on the look out for a new ride, Leon landed in LAX a few weeks ago and scouted the market. Finding nothing worth purchasing, he is on his way home to Portugal where his wife and two children eagerly await his arrival....

---

Leon Dufort
Flight 346

"Seat 38E," Leon said in mumbled French as he fought his way down the aisle of the airplane double checking his ticket as he did so.

He'd arrived late, Los Angeles traffic was horrible, and had to hustle from the security checkpoint to the gate. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he made his way down the narrow aisle of the plane. He brushed past a stewardess, apologized in accented English, and found where he was sitting. The only problem was that where he was sitting was a middle seat. Not an aisle. Not a window. Smack dab in the middle on a long flight back to Europe.

"Great," Leon grumbled as he stowed his carry on in the overhead bin.

He frantically looked down the cabin, hoping to find another seat, something unoccupied, but he knew the effort was futile. Vacation flights were so often overcrowded and filled with rowdy tourists. Maybe they had good alcohol around here. Something to help him get through the next 12 hours.

He slipped past someone's knees and landed squarely in his assigned seat. He gazed at the seat in front of him. Dangerously close. How claustrophobic. The pilot must have been in a hurry as he didn't have time to buckle his seat belt before he felt the plane lurch. He smacked his head against the tray table in front of him. That hurt.

Before long he felt the plane lift off from the runway and leave California behind. He longed to see his wife and two children again. Longed to be home. Longed to be away from the land of McDonalds, Wal-Marts, big SUVs, and....

A baby started screaming in the row behind him.

Leon Dufort grimaced and closed his eyes.

This was going to be a very long flight.

Tag: Reynar_Tedros, anyone else around.

 

Mathias Blake
Airplane, LAX

Mathias strode back to his real row with a smile on his face. His friends were still laughing as he sat down in the aisle seat. Jack asked, “You struck out, huh?” Mathias punched his shoulder. “I didn’t strike out. I’m leaving her wanting. I said I'd catch up with her when we land.” Mathias pushed his bag under the chair in front of him again, then continued, “Oh, by the way, we’re going to Lagos first.”

Ben shook his head. “You always do this.” Mathias feigned innocence. “What do you mean?” “You always get hung up on the first pretty girl you see. Remember Kaitlyn?” Mathias flipped him off. “Screw you, Ben.” Jack started laughing again.

Mathias looked down the aisle at Haley’s row. He chewed on the inside of his lip, then said, “Speaking of pretty girls, Ben, what ever happened with Roselyn?” Ben smiled, “We’re, uh, on a break, I guess.” Mathias knew what that meant. Ben had a reputation for breaking up with girls before vacations. For some reason it made him feel better about cheating on them. "This is why every girl hates you." Ben shrugged, "Only once they meet me."

Down the aisle, a man hurried on board and towards his seat. As he passed his row, Mathias did a double take. He tapped Jack on the shoulder, “Did you see that?” Jack, who was now reading on his phone, grunted, “See what?” “That guy that just walked past looked exactly like Gary Oldman.” Ben turned around in his chair, and Jack asked, “What, from Batman? Like Commissioner Gordon?” “Yeah, literal spitting image.”

Ben, still turned around trying to get a better glimpse of the man, said, “It couldn’t actually be him, right?” Jack shook his head, “No, he’d be flying First Class, not sitting with the peons.” Mathias shrugged, “Still weird, though.”

Tag: @Reynar_Tedros, Vehn, Everyone

 

IC as Haley Gordon

Planning for an innocent and friendly conversation, Haley was thankfully not aware of the bubbling tension between the man she was conversing with and the woman on the aisle seat, who leaned forward suddenly to jump in the discussion.

“Oh yes, we intend to stay in Portugal. Did he tell you that we’re celebrating our anniversary?” The lady announced, placing her hand on the man's leg in a familiar way that surprised Haley a little. They seemed so distant just a few moments prior. "As you can tell with the seat mix-up, he sometimes forgets the details.”

"I was just getting to that,” He offered while rubbing his neck.

A large smile went to Haley's lips then. "Aw! Congrats then, you two! That's a wonderful place to celebrate your anniversary." They were a cute couple, she thought happily. "Right now, I can only dream of getting married." She laughed.

"How long have you been married?" Haley asked with a smile. "If you don't mind me asking." Might as well make conversation. It was going to be a long flight, though thankfully, they were finally in the air and reaching the proper altitude.

Tag: HanSolo29

 

Flight 346
Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean

John Huttner had been a pilot for ten years. He and his wife were coming up on their fourteenth wedding anniversary and they had two young children together back in his hometown of Cheyenne, Wyoming. John hadn't always wanted to be a pilot, but instead had his sights set on the Major Leagues. But after an unremarkable stint in the Yankees' farm system, he decided to hang up his cleats and seek employment elsewhere. His brother, a pilot himself, persuaded John to attend flight school, and it was there he found his new passion in the sky. And although he couldn't be home with his family every night, the benefits and vacation time were good enough that his wife and children supported his decision without him feeling like he was missing out on their upbringing.

Rachelle Banuelos was single, had only been a pilot for two years, and was currently missing her parents and three siblings back in Culiacán. Unlike John, Rachelle had always had her eyes set on the sky, and her parents had saved up enough money to send her to Texas to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a pilot in America. She hadn't seen them in several months, and made it a point to remind herself to send them a postcard from Portugal when they landed.

"Hey John," she spoke to her captain seated just a few feet to her left.

"Yeah?" he responded, his hands resting on the controls.

"Remind me to send mi familia a postcard when we land."

"Roger that."

The aircraft was cruising over the Atlantic ocean in the early hours of the evening when John's eyes narrowed. "Rachelle."

"I see it, too." Her voice had a faint hint of worry in it as her eyes scanned the growing dark grey clouds on the horizon. "That wasn't on the forecast, was it?"

"No, it wasn't. I'm gonna get us a little higher, see if we can't fly over it."

Back in the cabin of the plane, alert passengers may have felt a slight shift as the plane increased in altitude, though most of them were too otherwise occupied with sleep or books or phone screens.

Until a violent gust of wind rocked the plane. Several passengers jumped in their seats, waking up from their light slumbers. Others looked up from their books and their phones, and a baby began to cry on her mother's shoulder.

"Son of a-" Rachelle glanced over at John as their view port was now completely surrounded by ominous dark clouds. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

"Flight attendants, please be seated," John spoke into his headset for the cabin to hear. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned on the fasten seat belt sign. We are now crossing a zone of turbulence. Please return your seats and keep your seat belts fastened. Thank you."

Mumbling had begun to break out among the passengers as onlookers in the window seats stared outside of the aircraft, wondering where the sudden storm had come from as rain began to pelt the glass.

"Slow to maneuvering speed," John told Rachelle. A roar of thunder boomed and lightning flashed before them. "Ground, United three four six charlie, acknowledge."

"Why wasn't this on the forecast?" Rachelle's eyes were wide as another lightning bolt flashed, closer this time.

"Ground, United three four six charlie, acknowledge. Dammit."

"Why are they not responding?"

And then suddenly and without warning, the wind stopped. The thunder ceased. The lightning disappeared. The passengers could feel the turbulence ease up and dissipate altogether, and an old woman near the front of the cabin could be heard saying, "Thank God that's over."

Then lightning struck the wing on the left side of the airplane and it separated from the aircraft and fell down from the sky. The plane lurched violently and the oxygen masks above each seat fell down from their compartments and into the passengers' faces as chaos and panic overtook the cabin.

"MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY," John shouted into his headset.

"Oh my God." Veins stood out on Rachel's arms as she tried to regain control.

"GROUND, MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY, ACKNOWLEDGE *** DAMMIT!"

"Oh my God."

Another vicious gust of wind send the plane spinning around and careening towards the water 37,000 feet below.

And then it ripped in half. The front end of the plane separated from the back end, and Haley Gordon and the Cochrans were on the very edge, their seat belts keeping them in place as their feet literally dangled in the sky, and they could only watch in utter horror as their fellow passengers in the front half fell down into the clouds and out of sight amid terrifying screams and cries.

It was only a matter of time until the back half of the plane crashed into the ocean's surface and began its inevitable sink to the depths. Lights in the cabin blinked and crackled and men and women and children shouted for help that would not come, prayed to the heavens that it was all just a nightmare.

But Haley Gordon, Carrie Bander, Mathias Blake, William Cochran, Rebecca Cochran, Adrian Frazier, Sally Leong, and Leon Dufort were not in a nightmare. This vicious assault by the merciless hands of nature, or fate, was very real. And though none of them could see through that eternal grey void that enveloped the plummeting aircraft, their only chance at survival was to do one very simple thing.

Jump.

Tag: spacelady, Ktala, NickLitYouAFlame, HanSolo29, Point Given, Heavy Isotope, Vehn

 

Flight 346
Somewhere over the Atlantic
IC: Leon Dufort

Leon awakened sometime later to the sensation of the airliner gaining altitude. That was odd. They'd been at cruising altitude for awhile now. He tried to look out the window but the person next to him made a scoffing sound. He frowned and turned his attention toward the cockpit door.

A violent jerk made his weathered hands reach out for the armrests. He held on tight while a baby cried somewhere in the background. He'd never liked flying. He was a ground pounder during his time with the Legion and although he'd made a few airborne jumps he had realized quickly that diving out of a plane wasn't his cup of tea.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned on the fasten seat belt sign. We are now crossing a zone of turbulence. Please return your seats and keep your seat belts fastened. Thank you."

Leon cinched his seatbelt down. He looked out the window. It was wet, splotchy, and somehow Flight 346 had found itself in the middle of a storm. He remembered the time he'd caught a ride aboard a French transport headed across the Mediterranean. The turbulence then had been pretty bad. A lot of the men under his command had thrown up. In fact, the entire flight deck had been awash in breakfast, lunch and dinner. He could still remember the smell. The warm liquid sloshing against his boots. The groans of the men.

Calm.

Leon was surprised at how quickly the turbulence dissipated. He let go of the armrests and began to relax. Big mistake. The plane lurched violently to the left, oxygen masks fell out of the ceiling, swinging and hitting him in the face. His eyes went wide with fear as he fought to put the oxygen mask on his face.

Leon felt his stomach lurch. The bile slowly creep up his esophagus as the plane spun and plummeted uncontrollably toward the dark surface below. He thought of his wife and two children waiting for him in Portugal. He was certain he'd never see them again. This was it for him. He reflected on his life, a decorated combat career, a love for the finer beauties in life, ended over the Atlantic. This was it. He was going to die.

He covered his ears as a horrible screeching sound ripped through the cabin. He felt the rain of the storm hit his face as a massive wind blew his hair all around nearly destroying his glasses. He opened his eyes and screamed. Screamed like he had never done before. The front half of the airplane was gone. Absolutely demolished.

He felt his stomach race up into his throat. Another sickening plummet. He stared out into the grey mass of the storm. Wasn't sure what altitude they were at as the plane tore through one cloud bank after another.

I don't want to die. Not today. There's got to be a chance. There's got to be a way out of here, Leon thought.

He'd heard stories from people who'd faced traumatic events. The thoughts one would think people would have go through their mind are not the ones that actually do. For some reason he thought about the times he had jumped out of a plane. Some were HALO jumps. A few were static line. Some at night. Some at day. Some at low altitude and some extraordinarily high. Now was the moment when Leon Dufort made a conscious decision aided by his mind as it struggled to rationalize what was going on.

Leon reached down toward his seatbelt and and unclipped the ends. He fought to stand, the plane still spinning and jerking in the air. He wasn't going to die sitting down. He wanted to die on his own terms even if that meant plummeting to the world far below without a parachute. He ripped off his seat, a vain hope that he was still over water and it could serve as a flotation device, and fought his way into the aisle.

The jagged edge of the plane loomed ahead. Rain, and clouds, rain, and more clouds. How far up was he? It didn't matter now. None of the problems that seemed to haunt his mind mattered at this moment. All that mattered was the raw instinct to survive. So Leon Dufort did the only thing he could do in the face of such a terrible accident.

He jumped, seat cushion and all.

Tag: Reynar_Tedros, everyone!

 

IC as Haley Gordon

The flight went well for the handful of hours it took to cross over into the Atlantic Ocean, Haley, being the ever polite and friendly person she was, occasionally made small talk with the married couple going away on vacation for their honeymoon and worked on her laptop every in between conversation. She had been working on new workout routines for her upcoming dvd. They had to be fresh and invigorating enough to loyal followers and inviting enough for newcomers to join. It was a challenge, but she had confidence she could pull it off.

She sipped from a bottle of water as she stared at the screen, her mind wondering briefly to the friendly man named Mathias who was bold enough to try switching seats so he could sit with her. She couldn't stop the small smile from forming on her lips.

The plane rose a bit, but Haley hadn't paid much attention, her thoughts otherwise distracted, until the plane jolted in its path so suddenly that she let out a gasp of surprise and grabbed a hold of her computer, careful not to spill her open bottle over her or her nice flying companion in the seat next to her.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned on the fasten seat belt sign. We are now crossing a zone of turbulence. Please return your seats and keep your seat belts fastened. Thank you."

Rain splattered hard against the windows and dark clouds were all around. Haley gave the married couple an uneasy look and quickly put away her computer and pushing the tray back up. She closed her bottle and made sure her seatbelt was tightened before closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the chair. She never did well with turbulence and so she took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Surely it would pass soon, she thought and hoped.

And then the aircraft smoothed out once more. She opened her eyes and released a breath, smiling at the man next to her and feeling a bit embarrassed. "That was a bad one," she murmured, speaking too soon.

Lightning lit up the sky all around them and then there was a terrible, heart-stopping sound that followed. The plane thrashed about violently in response. Haley released a cry, grabbing onto the armrests, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst. Oxygen masks dropped from the overhead cabinets. She desperately tried reaching out for her as the feeling of falling made her stomach drop. She felt lightheaded and could smell some weird burning scent as she cried in panic and yanked the mask over her head, only briefly glancing at the man and woman next to her if they were okay and doing the same.

They fell for what seemed like hours, the cries, the screams, of everyone on board the crashing plans mixed together and Haley's thoughts all blurred into one. Adrenaline rushes through her body but all she could do was hold onto her seat, one hand gripping the man's arm next to her for support.

The sound of a structure tearing is not a good one. Her eyes flashed wide in alarm as she looked up and saw cracks quickly forming along the panels all about her and the two sitting next to her. It happened so fast, she couldn't be sure it was real. The cracks deepened and severed the plane. Gale force winds slammed hard against her, her hair, flying every which way, was now wet from the rain. Her stomach gave way to the terrible sight ahead of her. Open sky and ocean water twirling about as they plummeted.

As best as she could, she clumsily pulled out the life vest from under her seat and shoved it in over her head. If they were heading for the ocean, it would at least be worth a chance. And if they were, she would be sucked down in the water with the plane.

Tears stung her eyes as she set herself and gave one last look to her chair mates.

And unbuckled her seat belt, jumping out.

Tag: Reynar_Tedros, HanSolo29, NickLitYouAFlame, Vehn, Ktala, Point Given

 

Carrie Bander
Flight 346 - Over the Atlantic

After the flight became calm, and things leveled out, Carrie pulled out her needlework. The young man next to her was busy in his papers, and Carrie was busy learning a new stitch, when she noted that the plain was climbing. That was unusual. Usually, they only did that to avoid any storms. But the pilot had not mentioned any. Carrie put down her work, and opened the windows shade she had partial closed, when water was their only view. She could barely make out a line of clouds, but they seemed so far away. Maybe it was just a precaution?

She was about to go back to her needlework, when a violent gust of wind rocked the plane. Several passengers jumped in their seats, Carrie include. She quickly packed up her things, zipping them tightly within their plastic packing, and took to staring out the window once more.

"Flight attendants, please be seated," the pilot spoke into his headset for the cabin to hear. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned on the fasten seat belt sign. We are now crossing a zone of turbulence. Please return your seats and keep your seat belts fastened. Thank you."

Oh...that was NEVER a good sign. Carrie pretty much kept her seat belt on, so she only stared out at the window, clutching her bag as rain began to pelt the glass. This was a very quick moving storm indeed!! And as if to echo her thoughts, a roar of thunder boomed and lightning flashed around them. Carrie swallowed hard. She HATED storms. Her grip on her bag grew tighter. And she didnt care what anyone else thought at the moment either. Then, just as suddenly, the wind stop. The storm went away, and the plane grew steady. "Thank God that's over." Carrie leaned back into her seat, trying to settle her racing heart...

<CRACK!>

A loud pop of lightning suddenly lit up the area, as it struck the plane. Carrie couldn't exactly see what happened, but the next viewpoint, noted that the plane suddenly lurched violently to one side, and the oxygen masks fell from above. Carrie's grip on her bag tightened even more, as a scream that threatened to rip itself from her throat, died in a strangled sound, as her eyes grew wide with fear. The plane lurched violently and the oxygen masks above each seat fell down from their compartments and into the passengers' faces as chaos and panic overtook the cabin, while the plane started to spin out of control.

Another sound, one Carrie had never heard before in her life, and then like a scene from a Final Destination movie, she watches in horror as the entire front half of the plane seperates from the rest of the plane. Carries mind froze for a few seconds. In the background, she realized that it was only a matter of time until the back half of the plane crashed into the ocean's surface and began its inevitable sink to the depths. Lights in the cabin blinked and crackled. No. Dying, strapped to the seat of a part of the plane, that would sink like a stone sounded horrible. And she didnt want to die. Not like that. She watched, in fasinated horror, as first a man, and then a young woman grabbed the floats under their seats, and then jumped.

The VESTS!!!!

Carrie reached down under her seat. As many times as she had flown, they had mentioned those silly things all the time. But she never thought about them. Till now. She ripped the vest from underneath the seat and hastily shoved it over her head. Her other hand still clutched her carry-on. With all the plastic wrapped stuff in there, it was practically its own float. Maybe. Or perhaps it was just the fact she was too frightened to simply let go of the durn thing. It was her only piece of sanity left in this madhouse scenario. Once she had shoved the life preserver over her head, and tugged it down, she managed to get one strapped secure. She gave a brief glance to her seat mates, and then...she undid the seat-belt that held her in her seat.

And leaped, still clutching her bag, along with the vest.


Tag: Reynar_Tedros, HanSolo29, NickLitYouAFlame, Vehn, spacelady, Point Given