Gunther laughed and looked at Captain Orton. “I wonder if the air-traffic controllers in California are so sensitive?”
Orton was busy studying the instrument panel. “Let’s get serious,” he stated somberly. “We both know what’s at stake on this flight. We’ve both flown the 757 on a dozen practice jaunts. Like Max, we’ve received the best training available. The Federation leaders consider this flight important for Federation morale. They see the airline service as a means of bringing the factions closer together. You heard President Toland.” He paused and grinned. “Let’s give the man his money’s worth.”
“Fine by me,” Gunther said.
“Stapleton Tower, we’re firing our engines,” Captain Orton announced formally.
“Roger, Flight 1 A,” Max replied in kind. “You are cleared to use Taxiway Nine to Runway Eighteen.”
“Thank you,” Captain Orton said, and proceeded to start the engines.
A swell of excitement undulated through the crowd as the huge aircraft thundered to life, and many applauded. A collective, hearty shout arose when the jet lumbered slowly to the left and headed along Taxi way Nine.
Captain Orton looked at his copilot. “Flaps?”
“They’re down,” Lieutenant Gunther confirmed.
“We wouldn’t want to make a basic blunder now,” Captain Orton remarked.
“I wonder how our passengers are doing?” Gunther mentioned.
Captain Orton flicked a switch. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We will be taking off shortly. Please insure your seat belts are fastened. Once we are airborne, we will circle Stapleton Airport once, then climb to an elevation of twenty thousand feet. I will address you again when we’re at cruising altitude. If you have any questions, just ask a stewardess. We hope you enjoy your trip, and trust you will fly Federation Airlines in the future.” He clicked off.
“How many do we have on board, anyway?” Gunther inquired, scanning the array of instruments before him.
“Toland finally decided to allow forty to take the flight,” Orton answered.
“Is that all?”
“I know we can carry almost four times that number, but forty passengers was all Toland would allow,” Captain Orton said.
“And every passenger won their seat in the lottery?”
Orton nodded while scrutinizing Runway 18. “A lottery was the fairest method of picking the first passengers. Otherwise, only those with connections, the rich and the powerful, would get a seat.”
The 757’s engines whined as the aircraft rolled onto the runway.
“It’s hard to believe this bird was built over one hundred and five years ago,” Gunther commented.
“The 757’s were put into service in the decade prior to the war,” Captain Orton casually noted, checking the rudders.
“The airline industry was in a shambles, and the passenger traffic had fallen off drastically. So many of the aircraft were past their prime and on the verge of obsolescence that there were incidents where the jets simply fell apart in midair. Several major crashes were blamed on structural stress from old age. The cost of jet fuel was at a premium, and the larger birds, the 747’s and such, became financially impractical to fly. The airlines were losing money hand over fist.”
“An that’s the reason they manufactured the 757’s?”
“Yep. The 757’s were the last of the new breed of aircraft, smaller, sleeker, and more fuel efficient. About fifty were put into service before the war.”
“I hope this one holds together.”
“Worrywart. The engineers and mechanics have gone over this bird with a fine-tooth comb. We’ve already flown fourteen hundred miles on our practice drills. She’ll hold together,” Captain Orton asserted.
“I’m ready when you are,” Gunther said.
“Stapleton Tower, this is Federation Airlines Flight 1A. We are ready for takeoff,” Orton announced.
Max responded immediately. “Flight 1A, you are cleared for takeoff on Runway 18. Happy flying.”
Captain Orton directed the 757 into the wind and opened the throttle, grinning as the aircraft hurtled forward. In 15 seconds the wheels lifted gently off the smooth surface and the 757 climbed into the air. He retracted the landing gear and pulled up the flaps.
“All systems appear normal,” Lieutenant Gunther stated.
The recently renovated buildings of Stapleton Airport appeared below them as they banked.
“You’re on your way!” Max declared happily.
“Roger, Tower,” Orton said smiling. He continued to ascend, executing a wide circle for the benefit of the passengers and the thousands on the ground now far below.
“I can’t get over how small everything is from up here,” Gunther observed. “The people look like ants.”
Captain Orton grinned, starting to relax, his gaze on the Rocky Mountains to the west, admiring the glistening, snowcapped peaks.
“Beautiful,” he murmured.
“What?”
“I’m glad I qualified for this post. Flying is the only job for me.”
“Qualified?” Gunther said, and chuckled. “You tested out at the top of the applicants. No one is more qualified than you.”
“You came in second by two points,” Orton mentioned.
“Yeah,” Gunther said. “I still think you cheated.”
They both laughed, relieved to be up and away, anticipating the long flight to California with relish.
“Do you want me to buzz Gail for a coffee?” Gunther queried.
“Not yet,” Captain Orton replied. He inspected the vertical-speed indicator and the altimeter. “What’s the latest between you two anyway?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Are you going to ask her to marry you?”
Gunther glanced at the cockpit door. “Ssssh. She might walk in and hear you.”
“So?”
“So she’s been bugging me about marriage,” Gunther revealed. “She wants a December wedding.”
“And you don’t?”
“I’m not ready for marriage,” Gunther said.
“What are you waiting for? Old age?”
“You know me. I like playing the field. I’m not ready to settle down.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing,” Orton stated. “I’ve been married for nine years, and I’ve loved every minute of it.”
“Even the four kids?”
“Especially the four kids.”
Gunther shook his head. “I don’t know how you do it.”
“Do what?”
“Handle a big family. My younger brother has a wife and two kids. Just two. If I go to visit for a week, they drive me up the wall. They yell and fight and spit and run all over the place. One of them even glued my shoes to the kitchen floor! I don’t know how anyone can handle a family.”
“All children go through phases.”
“Maybe so. But I’m not ready for kids, and I’m certainly not ready for marriage. What’s the rush? I have my whole life in front of me.”
Captain Orton gazed at the instrument panel. “We’re almost at twenty thousand feet.”
“Do you want me to take over?”
“Not yet, thanks. I like…” Orton began, then stiffened.
A brilliant flash of crimson light enveloped the cockpit, casting the instrument panel in an eerie reddish glow.
“What the hell!” Lieutenant Gunther blurted out.
Captain Orton could hear a muted, sizzling noise, and he reached up and tapped his headset.
“What’s going on?” Gunther asked, bewildered.
“I don’t know,” Orton admitted. The aircraft was still on course, steady and stable, but the sizzling was growing louder.
“What’s that sound?” Gunther inquired, gazing out the cockpit. “Look! Even the nose is glowing red!”