A Question of Humanity
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#1 A Question of Humanity
They say that flying is the safest way to travel. Of course, they say a lot of things, and who are 'they' really? Perhaps travelling first class in a modern jet is the safesty way to travel, but what about a not-exactly-new-looking plane from a Latin American country? The exterior was the dull silver of unpainted metal worn out of its gleam by years of use, although it had appeared free of any signs of rust or other corrosion were thankfully absent. A duet of propellers that looked to the uniformed modern eye like they were designed during WW2 propelled the craft through the air. Their roar was reduced to a moderate drone within the plane, although it was still louder than the heavily insulated interior of a jumbo jet.
Within the passenger section of the plane the lights were turned low during the night flight, although with the air tinted with the scent of fuel and grease, the rattle of the engines through the frame, and the chill caused by the plane's passage through the rain coolled air, more than a few of the passengers were either too uncomfortable or too anxious to sleep. A few were out like lights though, clearly either veteran fliers or veteran sleepers, possibly both. In general though, excluding the ever present drone of the engines, the interior was quiet. The plane was only about half full to its maximum capacity of forty-four passengers plus four crew, and all of them were adults, almost entirely foreigners, most of them tourists going from one part of Costa Rica to another.
For those with window seats on the right side of the plane, there was one further point of anxiety. Visible in the distance but closing quickly was a rather large storm system, a deeper darkness against the night sky occasionally illuminated from within with apocalyptically bright flashes of lightning. This was a storm of the sort that had inspired the stories of gods at terrible war with each other in the ignorant past.
With the rolling, forested mountains of interior Costa Rica passing by beneath them, the storm formed the hard place to the rock of the ground, and only the pilot and the whims of fate would determine if their little plane found itself trapped between the two.
Within the passenger section of the plane the lights were turned low during the night flight, although with the air tinted with the scent of fuel and grease, the rattle of the engines through the frame, and the chill caused by the plane's passage through the rain coolled air, more than a few of the passengers were either too uncomfortable or too anxious to sleep. A few were out like lights though, clearly either veteran fliers or veteran sleepers, possibly both. In general though, excluding the ever present drone of the engines, the interior was quiet. The plane was only about half full to its maximum capacity of forty-four passengers plus four crew, and all of them were adults, almost entirely foreigners, most of them tourists going from one part of Costa Rica to another.
For those with window seats on the right side of the plane, there was one further point of anxiety. Visible in the distance but closing quickly was a rather large storm system, a deeper darkness against the night sky occasionally illuminated from within with apocalyptically bright flashes of lightning. This was a storm of the sort that had inspired the stories of gods at terrible war with each other in the ignorant past.
With the rolling, forested mountains of interior Costa Rica passing by beneath them, the storm formed the hard place to the rock of the ground, and only the pilot and the whims of fate would determine if their little plane found itself trapped between the two.
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#2
Dane stirred fitfully. Spend any time in the military and you learn to catch sleep when you can, but being cooped up in a flying tin can in bad weather proved to be an unfavorable situation for sleeping. He had managed a brief nap, but he couldn't get back to sleep.
He morosely looked out the window. Lightning slashed across the darkness. Fuck. The ride was going to get rough. He hoped no one puked on him.
He morosely looked out the window. Lightning slashed across the darkness. Fuck. The ride was going to get rough. He hoped no one puked on him.
It's not that I'm unforgiving, it's that most of the people who wrong me are unrepentant assholes.
- Soontir948
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#3
He never thought he would be in a turbo-prop plane before given the prominently use jet-engine and Andy tried to enjoy every minute of it. This was how the first airline passengers, rich and the well-to-do, went around the world... but they probably didn't have to put up with the smell of gasoline fumes or the cold air of the night seeping in. Though they had to deal with the weather from time to time. The flashes of lightning coming from the starboard windows seem to be getting brighter and therefore closer. The other nearby passengers seem to be taking notice of it as well.
"I hope we don't get hit...", he muttered. Andy decided he had enough music for the night and tried to occupy his mind with an audio drama. Maybe he'll fall asleep. Then he can die oblivious.
"I hope we don't get hit...", he muttered. Andy decided he had enough music for the night and tried to occupy his mind with an audio drama. Maybe he'll fall asleep. Then he can die oblivious.
Last edited by Soontir948 on Sat Jul 11, 2009 3:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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#4
"We can take a hit," Dane replied. "It's the winds that are likely to fuck us up."
It's not that I'm unforgiving, it's that most of the people who wrong me are unrepentant assholes.
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#5
Zachary had never been one to like planes in the first place, and hurtling through the sky in this fine example of a steel deathbox was doing nothing to calm his nerves. He frequently stole glances at the approaching storm and did his best to ignore the wisecracking from one of the passengers.
#6
Nadya had already began to have second thoughts about the trip when she saw the plane on the runway- an old turboprop, flown and maintained by a third world airline and thus undoubtedly a flying deathtrap ready to fall apart at any moment.
But, no sense worrying about something you can't really control, right? She had been trying to sleep, once on the plane, despite the cold. A sudden gust of wind that shook the plane and an overheard conversation from the passangers in the seats next to her caught her attention, and now she was getting scared.
This whole damn trip was a mistake, that much is clear.
------------------------
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin
But, no sense worrying about something you can't really control, right? She had been trying to sleep, once on the plane, despite the cold. A sudden gust of wind that shook the plane and an overheard conversation from the passangers in the seats next to her caught her attention, and now she was getting scared.
This whole damn trip was a mistake, that much is clear.
------------------------
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin
Last edited by fgalkin on Sun Jul 12, 2009 12:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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#7
As the flashes of light in the dark draw nearer, the vibrations of the plane take on a more sinister note, the regular thrum of the engines being interlaced with the erratic, unpredictable sways, rocks, and bumps of turbulence.
With a crackle and buzz, the intercom came alive and the rapid chatter of Spanish mixed with a slight hint of fear was heard. For those who could understand the language, what was said clearly did nothing to assuage their fears. The plane banked and rolled noticeably as it changed course, putting the clouds in the distance to the rear.
And revealing the even larger storm cell that had been chasing them.
With a crackle and buzz, the intercom came alive and the rapid chatter of Spanish mixed with a slight hint of fear was heard. For those who could understand the language, what was said clearly did nothing to assuage their fears. The plane banked and rolled noticeably as it changed course, putting the clouds in the distance to the rear.
And revealing the even larger storm cell that had been chasing them.
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#8
Dane had a white knuckle grip on the arms of his seat. "Fuck," he whispered. "I could really fucking use a drink."
It's not that I'm unforgiving, it's that most of the people who wrong me are unrepentant assholes.
#9
Nadya found herself gripping the arms of her seat, cold sweat on her brow and a ball of ice in her stomach. Whatever smattering of Spanish she understood and the sight of the larger storm cell drove the air from her lungs like a punch in the gut.
Come on, girl, breathe, she kept saying to herself over and over. You won't die here today.
And then, finally gasping a mouthful of air, she began muttering words quietly
Мне не страшно, я навеселе,-
Чтоб по трапу пройти не моргнув,
Тренируюсь уже на земле
Туго-натуго пояс стянув.*
The half-sung, half spoken lyrics of an old song by a Russian Bard, gone but not forgotten, whose songs her father used to play so much in their tiny apartment in a city half a world away usually filled her with confidence. She found them small comfort now, in the face of impeding death. And yet, she countinued
Но, слава богу, я не вылетаю -
В аэропорте время коротаю
Еще с одним таким же - побратим,-
Мы пьем седьмую за день
За то, что все мы сядем,
И может быть - туда, куда летим.**
A sudden burst of wind shook the plane and turned the last line into a scream of terror as she imagined coming weightlessness accompanying the imminent plunge to their deaths
Then, when no last fall came, she continued, tears streaming down her face
Друг рассказал - такие врать не станут:
Сидел он раз, ремнями не затянут,
Вдруг - взрыв! А он и к этому готов:
И тут нашел лазейку -
Расправил телогрейку
И приземлился в клумбу от цветов...
Я напрасно верчусь на пупе,
Я напрасно волнуюсь вообще:
Если в воздухе будет ЧП, —
Приземлюсь на китайском плаще. ***
The cabin lurched again, stronger this time eliciting another scream from Nadya, and this time, she was joined by other passengers.
"Oh my God, oh my God..." Nadya heard screaming in a voice she recognized as her own
The shaking of the plane grew stronger by the moment as the storm cell finally caught up with the aircraft. Nadya heard screamed prayers in English and Spanish over the howling of the wind and the sound of the engines. She joined in, screaming out every word
Считайте меня полным идиотом,
Но я б и там летел Аэрофлотом:
У них - гуд бай - и в небо, хошь не хошь.
А тут - сиди и грейся:
Всегда задержка рейса,-
Хоть день, а все же лишний проживешь!****
----------------------------------------------------
Lyrics from "It's the Same After 10 Years," by Vladimir Vysotsky
*No, I am not afraid, a bit tipsy, that is all.
And so that I may walk steadily up the ladder,
I train myself while still on earth
Having tightened my belt properly.
**But, I am not flying, thank the Lord -
Instead beguiling time at the airport
Together with a lad, a blood brother.
We drink the seventh one this day
For the thought that all of us will land
And hopefully where we intended to.
***A friend explained - and his kind won't lie
He flew one time, not buckled up
Suddenly - explosion! Yet he was all prepared:
And found a way out even there -
He simply spread his padded jacket
And landed safely in a flower-bed.
So, I am going out of my mind for nothing
I am stressing over nothing, all in all.
For if indeed we'll be struck by a catastrophe
I will land safely with my Chinese raincoat!
****Call me a moron if you will,
But I would fly by Aeroflot even abroad:
For over there it's a quick good-bye and to the sky
Whether you want it or not..
But here - sit and sun yourself
For here is always a delay -
You will be spared at least another day...
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin
Come on, girl, breathe, she kept saying to herself over and over. You won't die here today.
And then, finally gasping a mouthful of air, she began muttering words quietly
Мне не страшно, я навеселе,-
Чтоб по трапу пройти не моргнув,
Тренируюсь уже на земле
Туго-натуго пояс стянув.*
The half-sung, half spoken lyrics of an old song by a Russian Bard, gone but not forgotten, whose songs her father used to play so much in their tiny apartment in a city half a world away usually filled her with confidence. She found them small comfort now, in the face of impeding death. And yet, she countinued
Но, слава богу, я не вылетаю -
В аэропорте время коротаю
Еще с одним таким же - побратим,-
Мы пьем седьмую за день
За то, что все мы сядем,
И может быть - туда, куда летим.**
A sudden burst of wind shook the plane and turned the last line into a scream of terror as she imagined coming weightlessness accompanying the imminent plunge to their deaths
Then, when no last fall came, she continued, tears streaming down her face
Друг рассказал - такие врать не станут:
Сидел он раз, ремнями не затянут,
Вдруг - взрыв! А он и к этому готов:
И тут нашел лазейку -
Расправил телогрейку
И приземлился в клумбу от цветов...
Я напрасно верчусь на пупе,
Я напрасно волнуюсь вообще:
Если в воздухе будет ЧП, —
Приземлюсь на китайском плаще. ***
The cabin lurched again, stronger this time eliciting another scream from Nadya, and this time, she was joined by other passengers.
"Oh my God, oh my God..." Nadya heard screaming in a voice she recognized as her own
The shaking of the plane grew stronger by the moment as the storm cell finally caught up with the aircraft. Nadya heard screamed prayers in English and Spanish over the howling of the wind and the sound of the engines. She joined in, screaming out every word
Считайте меня полным идиотом,
Но я б и там летел Аэрофлотом:
У них - гуд бай - и в небо, хошь не хошь.
А тут - сиди и грейся:
Всегда задержка рейса,-
Хоть день, а все же лишний проживешь!****
----------------------------------------------------
Lyrics from "It's the Same After 10 Years," by Vladimir Vysotsky
*No, I am not afraid, a bit tipsy, that is all.
And so that I may walk steadily up the ladder,
I train myself while still on earth
Having tightened my belt properly.
**But, I am not flying, thank the Lord -
Instead beguiling time at the airport
Together with a lad, a blood brother.
We drink the seventh one this day
For the thought that all of us will land
And hopefully where we intended to.
***A friend explained - and his kind won't lie
He flew one time, not buckled up
Suddenly - explosion! Yet he was all prepared:
And found a way out even there -
He simply spread his padded jacket
And landed safely in a flower-bed.
So, I am going out of my mind for nothing
I am stressing over nothing, all in all.
For if indeed we'll be struck by a catastrophe
I will land safely with my Chinese raincoat!
****Call me a moron if you will,
But I would fly by Aeroflot even abroad:
For over there it's a quick good-bye and to the sky
Whether you want it or not..
But here - sit and sun yourself
For here is always a delay -
You will be spared at least another day...
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin
Last edited by fgalkin on Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
- Soontir948
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#10
The on-set of turbulence shook away any chance of Andy falling asleep. He immediately took off his in-ear phones to hear what was going on. The moment that he did, he heard the pilot speaking fearfully in Spanish and a Russian girl drowning him out with her shrieking singing. It was getting worse and as the plane changed course, he started to panic himself when the larger storm system revealed itself.
"Holy shit!", he cried and wished he kept his eyes closed and his earphones on. He checked under his seat hoping this old hunk of junk had a parachute, a life preserver, or something, whatever. Anything to calm him down.
"Holy shit!", he cried and wished he kept his eyes closed and his earphones on. He checked under his seat hoping this old hunk of junk had a parachute, a life preserver, or something, whatever. Anything to calm him down.
- Losonti Tokash
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#11
A brief moment of relief from the captain's words was quickly strangled once Zachary glanced out the window and witnessed the orgy of violence that was nearly upon them already. He seriously doubted they would make it to another landing site before they were engulfed.
Shit.
Shit.
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#12
As the shaking and turbulence grew worse with each passing moment, the sickening feeling of descent arrived to the gang of sensations assaulting the inner ears of those aboard the plane. The pilot was clearly getting closer to wherever he wanted to go. However, those close to the windows began to see ominous specks of water appear on the exterior of the glass.
Someone at the front of the plane cried out that they saw light up ahead. Then, like some thundergod waiting for the right cosmic moment, everyone's world was illuminated as lightning crashed into the right wing. The whole plane shuddered and dropped straight down for a second while an awful, eerie feeling of static charge rushed through the interior.
People were shouting and wailing now, the plane descending at gut renching speeds. Someone threw up. Someone was praying loudly in Spanish, so loudly it was more a semi-coherent scream than actual human speech.
A far off blast of lightning in the clouds chasing them like the Wild Hunt of ancient Europe briefly illuminated the landscape to those next to the windows, revealing forested mountains rushing beneath them at speeds that twisted the bowels just to look at. Abruptly the passengers were all thrown back into their seats, an invisible hand crushing into their chests as the pilot somehow managed to wrestle the plane out of the descent, desperately willing it to climb.
Another burst of lightning and the forest seemed like an angry ocean just beneath the plane, undulating angrily beneath them in the dark, some great wave waiting to consume them.
The inside of the plane was utter bedlam, all the senses turned to chaos as the world turned to incoherent noise, shaking, and all the scents of human fear.
Something...
The whole world whipped into abrupt circular motion, like a DJ scratching a record.
Tearing...
Wind, cold and yet hot, speckled with rain, like the dying cough of an aspirating pneumonia victim, reaching the passengers.
Darkness...
Freefall...
Rolling...
Darkness...
Wet crunching, like sticks of celery being snapped...
Awareness returns at different rates to different people. Perhaps the first sensation is the rain, harsh as it strikes them chill as it soaks them through their clothing and wraps around their skin.
When the eyes open and adjust to the new light, a strangely suffuse illumination from somewhere in the distance punctuated by the occasional flash of lightning in the furious heavens above, it is a scene from a warzone. The plane is gone, replaced by shredded metal and trees. One section in the middle had surived relatively intact, the tubular piece rolling down a hill while the front, rear, and wings were torn to ribbons, anyone within surely killed. Still, that section was only relatively intact and was tilted at a thirty degree angle from level.
Despite the rain damping it down, a new sensation was added to the nightmare as the nose started to pick up the scent of smoke. Something was burning close by.
Someone at the front of the plane cried out that they saw light up ahead. Then, like some thundergod waiting for the right cosmic moment, everyone's world was illuminated as lightning crashed into the right wing. The whole plane shuddered and dropped straight down for a second while an awful, eerie feeling of static charge rushed through the interior.
People were shouting and wailing now, the plane descending at gut renching speeds. Someone threw up. Someone was praying loudly in Spanish, so loudly it was more a semi-coherent scream than actual human speech.
A far off blast of lightning in the clouds chasing them like the Wild Hunt of ancient Europe briefly illuminated the landscape to those next to the windows, revealing forested mountains rushing beneath them at speeds that twisted the bowels just to look at. Abruptly the passengers were all thrown back into their seats, an invisible hand crushing into their chests as the pilot somehow managed to wrestle the plane out of the descent, desperately willing it to climb.
Another burst of lightning and the forest seemed like an angry ocean just beneath the plane, undulating angrily beneath them in the dark, some great wave waiting to consume them.
The inside of the plane was utter bedlam, all the senses turned to chaos as the world turned to incoherent noise, shaking, and all the scents of human fear.
Something...
The whole world whipped into abrupt circular motion, like a DJ scratching a record.
Tearing...
Wind, cold and yet hot, speckled with rain, like the dying cough of an aspirating pneumonia victim, reaching the passengers.
Darkness...
Freefall...
Rolling...
Darkness...
Wet crunching, like sticks of celery being snapped...
Awareness returns at different rates to different people. Perhaps the first sensation is the rain, harsh as it strikes them chill as it soaks them through their clothing and wraps around their skin.
When the eyes open and adjust to the new light, a strangely suffuse illumination from somewhere in the distance punctuated by the occasional flash of lightning in the furious heavens above, it is a scene from a warzone. The plane is gone, replaced by shredded metal and trees. One section in the middle had surived relatively intact, the tubular piece rolling down a hill while the front, rear, and wings were torn to ribbons, anyone within surely killed. Still, that section was only relatively intact and was tilted at a thirty degree angle from level.
Despite the rain damping it down, a new sensation was added to the nightmare as the nose started to pick up the scent of smoke. Something was burning close by.
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#13
Dane groaned. Somehow he had survived. His head throbbed. He must have bumped against something during the crash. His right arm was weak. He fumbled for the seat belt with his left. He was covered in gore.
He jerked around in momentary panic and then realized it wasn't his. The poor bastard next to him had gotten ripped open by a piece of jagged metal and sprayed blood all over him. Another meter over and it would have been Dane.
An eye blinked. "Help me," the dying man moaned. Jesus fucking Christ. "Please. It hurts so bad."
Dane fumbled with the seat belt latch one handed and finally got it off. His arm was mercifully merely numb, not broken. "Please," said the dying man. "Oh god, oh mother help me."
There was a half meter long gash in the dying man's chest and a jagged piece of metal half embedded in it. There was nothing short of a fully staffed OR that had a hope in hell of saving him.
"I'll try and get some help," Dane said as he stumbled around the dying man. Maybe someone was carrying a big dose of pain killers. That was pretty much the best that could be done.
He looked around. Oh god. Everyone he could see was dead. He was alone, cover in blood, surrounded by the dead. He could feel the darkness close in around him. He was a child again.
"Anyone here?" he said, his voice breaking. Oh god, your miserable, murdering non-existent bastard, please don't let me be alone. Please.
He jerked around in momentary panic and then realized it wasn't his. The poor bastard next to him had gotten ripped open by a piece of jagged metal and sprayed blood all over him. Another meter over and it would have been Dane.
An eye blinked. "Help me," the dying man moaned. Jesus fucking Christ. "Please. It hurts so bad."
Dane fumbled with the seat belt latch one handed and finally got it off. His arm was mercifully merely numb, not broken. "Please," said the dying man. "Oh god, oh mother help me."
There was a half meter long gash in the dying man's chest and a jagged piece of metal half embedded in it. There was nothing short of a fully staffed OR that had a hope in hell of saving him.
"I'll try and get some help," Dane said as he stumbled around the dying man. Maybe someone was carrying a big dose of pain killers. That was pretty much the best that could be done.
He looked around. Oh god. Everyone he could see was dead. He was alone, cover in blood, surrounded by the dead. He could feel the darkness close in around him. He was a child again.
"Anyone here?" he said, his voice breaking. Oh god, your miserable, murdering non-existent bastard, please don't let me be alone. Please.
Last edited by Cynical Cat on Thu Jul 16, 2009 1:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
It's not that I'm unforgiving, it's that most of the people who wrong me are unrepentant assholes.
#14
Drip...drip...drip...
Nadya awoke to the feeling of heavy drops of water landing on her head and the back of her neck, each one sending a slight throb of pain through her.
She groaned, slowly opened her eyes, and found herself lying on her stomach on the floor between rows of seats. In the faint light streaming from somewhere above, she saw her section of the plane, deformed and mangled metal. It must have rolled on impact, she realized with a start. Water was dripping from a ragged tear in the ceiling, and little streams were snaking down the aisle. Some of the streams were tinged red, she noticed.
She felt a pain, a dull throbbing ache in her stomach, and, reaching with her hands, to her surprise pulled out a seat belt buckle, straps of belt still hanging off both ends. The old seat belts, never replaced after years of use snapped during impact and sent her flying, almost all the way into the aisle.
That old seatbelt saved her life, she realized with dawning horror as she turned around to look at her old seat. Instead, she found mere shards of shredded cloth in a mass of twisted metal. She gasped in shock at the sight, and tried to pull herself away...
..and, with a wave of panic, realized that she could not. Her left foot was pinned firmly inside the wreckage. She pulled frantically, again and again and again, only to realize it is futile.
"Deep breaths, girl, deep breaths," she heard herself saying. "You're still alive and you'll get out of this."
She looked around, checking for any survivors, anyone still alive to help. She had no neighbor, but she remembered a man sitting across the aisle from her.....
She turned away with a scream of revulsion and covered her eyes with her hands, a futile gesture to protect herself from the horror she had seen . The sudden movement sent a flash of pain in her head, and a stronger one in her stomach.
"Oh my God....oh my God..." she kept whispering over and over, as tears streamed from her eyes.
She did not know how much time she spent sobbing in the darkness. Eventually, however, she became aware of something else...something burning.
Slowly, she took her hands away and found them covered in blood, her own blood from a gash in her forehead she did not even notice...
The world slowed down, things became clearer,the outlines of the rows of seats around her, the ground below and the watery sky above. She felt...calm, as if it was not her battered and bruised and trapped inside a burning airplane full of corpses. As if she was merely watching it all happen to somebody else, perhaps in a dream. Perhaps it was a dream, and she would wake up from it any minute now, back on the plane, or better yet, safe in New York. This couldn't be real, couldn't be happening to her. It couldn't...
With a surprising calmness she began struggling to free herself again, twisting her foot this way and that, grabbing a hold of the seats and trying to pull herself out. She struggled and struggled, and yet, she was still trapped.
"HELP! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME PLEASE!"
------------------------------------------------
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin
Nadya awoke to the feeling of heavy drops of water landing on her head and the back of her neck, each one sending a slight throb of pain through her.
She groaned, slowly opened her eyes, and found herself lying on her stomach on the floor between rows of seats. In the faint light streaming from somewhere above, she saw her section of the plane, deformed and mangled metal. It must have rolled on impact, she realized with a start. Water was dripping from a ragged tear in the ceiling, and little streams were snaking down the aisle. Some of the streams were tinged red, she noticed.
She felt a pain, a dull throbbing ache in her stomach, and, reaching with her hands, to her surprise pulled out a seat belt buckle, straps of belt still hanging off both ends. The old seat belts, never replaced after years of use snapped during impact and sent her flying, almost all the way into the aisle.
That old seatbelt saved her life, she realized with dawning horror as she turned around to look at her old seat. Instead, she found mere shards of shredded cloth in a mass of twisted metal. She gasped in shock at the sight, and tried to pull herself away...
..and, with a wave of panic, realized that she could not. Her left foot was pinned firmly inside the wreckage. She pulled frantically, again and again and again, only to realize it is futile.
"Deep breaths, girl, deep breaths," she heard herself saying. "You're still alive and you'll get out of this."
She looked around, checking for any survivors, anyone still alive to help. She had no neighbor, but she remembered a man sitting across the aisle from her.....
She turned away with a scream of revulsion and covered her eyes with her hands, a futile gesture to protect herself from the horror she had seen . The sudden movement sent a flash of pain in her head, and a stronger one in her stomach.
"Oh my God....oh my God..." she kept whispering over and over, as tears streamed from her eyes.
She did not know how much time she spent sobbing in the darkness. Eventually, however, she became aware of something else...something burning.
Slowly, she took her hands away and found them covered in blood, her own blood from a gash in her forehead she did not even notice...
The world slowed down, things became clearer,the outlines of the rows of seats around her, the ground below and the watery sky above. She felt...calm, as if it was not her battered and bruised and trapped inside a burning airplane full of corpses. As if she was merely watching it all happen to somebody else, perhaps in a dream. Perhaps it was a dream, and she would wake up from it any minute now, back on the plane, or better yet, safe in New York. This couldn't be real, couldn't be happening to her. It couldn't...
With a surprising calmness she began struggling to free herself again, twisting her foot this way and that, grabbing a hold of the seats and trying to pull herself out. She struggled and struggled, and yet, she was still trapped.
"HELP! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME PLEASE!"
------------------------------------------------
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin
- Cynical Cat
- Arch-Magician
- Posts: 11930
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- Contact:
#15
"HELP! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME PLEASE!"
That settled the question whether or not he was alone. Thank Christ he wasn't alone. He staggered to the sound. His balance was shit and the uneven footing wasn't helping.
He smelled smoke. Sheeeeeeet. This kept on getting better and better. He made his way towards the voice.
It was the looker he had spotted when he boarded the plane. She seemed to be wedged into the wreckage. She was bloody, but head wounds tended to bleed. The analytical part of his brain was still working. Too many years in homicide and murderous shit holes.
"Help's on the way," he said, trying to reassure her. Panic wouldn't help. Not that his appearance would help with that. He was a bigger mess than she was.
"Foot stuck?" he asked.
That settled the question whether or not he was alone. Thank Christ he wasn't alone. He staggered to the sound. His balance was shit and the uneven footing wasn't helping.
He smelled smoke. Sheeeeeeet. This kept on getting better and better. He made his way towards the voice.
It was the looker he had spotted when he boarded the plane. She seemed to be wedged into the wreckage. She was bloody, but head wounds tended to bleed. The analytical part of his brain was still working. Too many years in homicide and murderous shit holes.
"Help's on the way," he said, trying to reassure her. Panic wouldn't help. Not that his appearance would help with that. He was a bigger mess than she was.
"Foot stuck?" he asked.
It's not that I'm unforgiving, it's that most of the people who wrong me are unrepentant assholes.
#16
Nadya had heard a noise, somewhere in the section below her. She craned and twisted her neck, looking down the aisle for the source of the sound...
For a second, it seemed that one of the mangled corpses visible in the tangled wreckage had come to life and was moving. A stab of terror broke through her calm and she shrieked, then shut her mouth with her hands.
The thing seemed to react to that, looking up at her suddenly.
"Help's on the way," she heard. Only then did she realize she was looking at a survivor.
"Foot stuck?" the huge man asked.
Nadya kept staring at him with terror-wide eyes for a few more seconds, and then, as her battered brain finally processed what he was saying, and she felt her calm starting to return, she nodded.
"I...can't pull it out. "
Coming closer, Dane could see that the girl's foot held in place by twisted fuselage and what was left of the seat. It was a miracle she got off so lightly- another millimeter and her foot would have been severed by razor-sharp aluminum. It seemed possible to bend the metal trapping her, and widen the hole, if one could somehow avoid having his fingers cut off in the process.
-----------------------------
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin
For a second, it seemed that one of the mangled corpses visible in the tangled wreckage had come to life and was moving. A stab of terror broke through her calm and she shrieked, then shut her mouth with her hands.
The thing seemed to react to that, looking up at her suddenly.
"Help's on the way," she heard. Only then did she realize she was looking at a survivor.
"Foot stuck?" the huge man asked.
Nadya kept staring at him with terror-wide eyes for a few more seconds, and then, as her battered brain finally processed what he was saying, and she felt her calm starting to return, she nodded.
"I...can't pull it out. "
Coming closer, Dane could see that the girl's foot held in place by twisted fuselage and what was left of the seat. It was a miracle she got off so lightly- another millimeter and her foot would have been severed by razor-sharp aluminum. It seemed possible to bend the metal trapping her, and widen the hole, if one could somehow avoid having his fingers cut off in the process.
-----------------------------
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin
Last edited by fgalkin on Fri Jul 17, 2009 3:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.
- Losonti Tokash
- Apprentice
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- Contact:
#17
Black. Black. Black. Black. Black. Yellow?
Zachary couldn't see them, but he heard the screaming. Screaming was good. He made his way through the wreckage, climbing and tripping as appropriate, in the direction of the noise.
It was Mr. "We can take a hit," and panicky russian girl. Man looked like hell, though Zachary was pretty sure he didn't look much better. He definitely couldn't look very well, since he was blind in the left eye. He just hoped it was swollen shut, and not missing. Either way, that pain was so intense he couldn't really tell if he was hurt anywhere else.
A quick assessment as he approached told him they were just beaten up, nothing major. Time to act professional.
In his best calm, yet concerned tone, he addressed the teenager. "Miss, I need you to try and hold still. I'm a paramedic, so just remain calm and we'll take care of you, okay?"
Zachary couldn't see them, but he heard the screaming. Screaming was good. He made his way through the wreckage, climbing and tripping as appropriate, in the direction of the noise.
It was Mr. "We can take a hit," and panicky russian girl. Man looked like hell, though Zachary was pretty sure he didn't look much better. He definitely couldn't look very well, since he was blind in the left eye. He just hoped it was swollen shut, and not missing. Either way, that pain was so intense he couldn't really tell if he was hurt anywhere else.
A quick assessment as he approached told him they were just beaten up, nothing major. Time to act professional.
In his best calm, yet concerned tone, he addressed the teenager. "Miss, I need you to try and hold still. I'm a paramedic, so just remain calm and we'll take care of you, okay?"
- Cynical Cat
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#18
"We need something to use as a lever so we can push back the metal without being cut to shit," said Dane. Two people. God was a jester. "or something to protect our hands with."
He got an idea. He pulled back the tray on a mangled seat and gave it a sharp kick. Fuck that hurt. Fucking bruises. Then another one. It gave. He bent and tore free the rest.
That left him with two flimsy metal bars, but he would have leverage and it was only aluminum. He jammed them in the hole and bore down. He made about a centimeter worth of room.
He got an idea. He pulled back the tray on a mangled seat and gave it a sharp kick. Fuck that hurt. Fucking bruises. Then another one. It gave. He bent and tore free the rest.
That left him with two flimsy metal bars, but he would have leverage and it was only aluminum. He jammed them in the hole and bore down. He made about a centimeter worth of room.
It's not that I'm unforgiving, it's that most of the people who wrong me are unrepentant assholes.
- Soontir948
- Disciple
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- Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2005 10:19 pm
- 19
- Location: Queens, NY
- Contact:
#19
This was not as fun and exhilarating as riding a roller coaster. For one thing, Andy felt like he went through a thousand rounds of Muay Thai. He was confused and dazed letting out a series of groans until he slid back into unconsciousness.
Last edited by Soontir948 on Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
#20
You're going to make it!
Nadya watched with wide eyes as the big man kicked and tore the twisted metal pinning her leg in place. She winced as one of his kicks sent a piece of fuselage the wrong way, cutting through the cloth of her pants and into her leg.
And then, suddenly, she felt the metal pried loose.
She was free!
Quickly, she pulled her foot out of the now widened hole.
"Thank you," she mouthed at her savior.
She felt the wound on her leg with her hand. Only a scratch. She'll live. She was free and she'll live!
It was only then that she noticed the second, smaller man with a bloodied, swollen eye.
"Uh...are you ok?" she asked, looking up at him.
---------------------------------------------
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin
Nadya watched with wide eyes as the big man kicked and tore the twisted metal pinning her leg in place. She winced as one of his kicks sent a piece of fuselage the wrong way, cutting through the cloth of her pants and into her leg.
And then, suddenly, she felt the metal pried loose.
She was free!
Quickly, she pulled her foot out of the now widened hole.
"Thank you," she mouthed at her savior.
She felt the wound on her leg with her hand. Only a scratch. She'll live. She was free and she'll live!
It was only then that she noticed the second, smaller man with a bloodied, swollen eye.
"Uh...are you ok?" she asked, looking up at him.
---------------------------------------------
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin
Last edited by fgalkin on Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:58 pm, edited 2 times in total.
- Cynical Cat
- Arch-Magician
- Posts: 11930
- Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2005 8:53 pm
- 19
- Location: Ice Sarcophagus outside a ruined Jedi Temple
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#21
"Your welcome," Dane said panting. "We need to grab what we can and get the fuck out of here. There's a fire." He turned away from her and yelled, "is anyone out there?!"
It's not that I'm unforgiving, it's that most of the people who wrong me are unrepentant assholes.
#22
Nadya nodded and, using the back of an airline seat as support, pulled herself to her feet with a grunt. Gingerly, she put her weight on her wounded foot. It hurt, she discovered, but she could stand and walk
As she made her first step down the aislem, a wave of nausea assaulted her. She stood there for a minute, panting as she fought to keep it under control.
Right, take a break. Look around. Grab what we can...right.
She looked around the cabin frantically, searching for anything useful, or for survivors. Her own bag in the overhead compartment has been shredded in the crash, but perhaps....
...is that an ARM?!
Nadya found herself nearly lying on the back of the seat of the row in front of her, now inclined at a steep angle, fighting desperately to keep her dinner inside her.
----------------------------------
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin
As she made her first step down the aislem, a wave of nausea assaulted her. She stood there for a minute, panting as she fought to keep it under control.
Right, take a break. Look around. Grab what we can...right.
She looked around the cabin frantically, searching for anything useful, or for survivors. Her own bag in the overhead compartment has been shredded in the crash, but perhaps....
...is that an ARM?!
Nadya found herself nearly lying on the back of the seat of the row in front of her, now inclined at a steep angle, fighting desperately to keep her dinner inside her.
----------------------------------
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin
Last edited by fgalkin on Fri Jul 17, 2009 7:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.
- Losonti Tokash
- Apprentice
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#23
Zach turned to the other man. "See if you can find anyone else who's still alive. They're probably passed out so just check for a pulse real quick on anyone who isn't obviously dead."
Once the girl had sat back down again, he knelt next to her and began a rapid trauma assessment.
"All right, my name is Zach and I'm gonna just give you a once over to see if there's anything serious. Mind telling me your name?" He tried not to look her in the eye since he doubted his face was much to look at.
The head wound itself wasn't a concern, but she seemed to have a concussion and that could be a huge pain in the ass until she recovered. He'd just have to wait and see. The bruises on her torso and abdomen were to be expected, nothing immediately serious. Only thing I'm really worried about is the cut on her foot. Doesn't look too serious but I've got fuck all to sterilize it with.
Zach hoped that Whats-his-face was able to find someone else that made it through the crash, as he tore a loose shirt into strips to dress the cut on the girl's leg.
Once the girl had sat back down again, he knelt next to her and began a rapid trauma assessment.
"All right, my name is Zach and I'm gonna just give you a once over to see if there's anything serious. Mind telling me your name?" He tried not to look her in the eye since he doubted his face was much to look at.
The head wound itself wasn't a concern, but she seemed to have a concussion and that could be a huge pain in the ass until she recovered. He'd just have to wait and see. The bruises on her torso and abdomen were to be expected, nothing immediately serious. Only thing I'm really worried about is the cut on her foot. Doesn't look too serious but I've got fuck all to sterilize it with.
Zach hoped that Whats-his-face was able to find someone else that made it through the crash, as he tore a loose shirt into strips to dress the cut on the girl's leg.
- Soontir948
- Disciple
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#24
The growing amount of smoke in the air made Andy cough a bit. Regaining consciousness, he still felt a little groggy but the smell of smoke alerted him that he needed to get away. Andy tried getting up and felt real sore in his mid-section where the seat-belt dug into him which was the only thing keeping him at his seat with the plane at an angle. He managed to steady himself and saw someone coming 'down' the aisle. He recognized him and said, "Can take a hit, eh?", he raspingly chuckled.
#25
Nadya stared at the other man. He looked like he needed medical help himself. Still, he seemed to know what he was doing, probably a doctor of some sort. That was a relief, at least.
"Nadya," she said, in response to his question.
The man, Zach, nodded and began bandaging the cut on her leg. Idly, she wondered whether her sudden strange calmness was due to adrenaline, or her concussion.
---------------------------------
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin
"Nadya," she said, in response to his question.
The man, Zach, nodded and began bandaging the cut on her leg. Idly, she wondered whether her sudden strange calmness was due to adrenaline, or her concussion.
---------------------------------
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin