Fan Fiction: Lost Souls

[RossBondReturns]

Prologue

 

Four Weeks Ago

 

The intercom crackled to life on my varnished oak desk.

 

“Mr. Francis, Mr. and Mrs. Harris are here for their 10:50”

 

“Thank you Evelynn send them on in.”

 

“Yes Sir.”

 

The slants of light coming through the half-closed Venetian blinds cut across the open folder on my desk. In it was a collection of information, a paper trail in a digital age. My office is lined with filing cabinets, these are filled with such folders, containing even more paper. This world has become so infatuated with technology that some of them have even gone so far to have it injected into them. Some people even have ink that while oft-times telling a story can sometimes be used to scan for medical data or other things. Most new cars are controlled more by computers than by the humans sitting in them, their sleek antennas constantly searching for the next wireless signal. I tried to get by using as little of this technology as possible it used to be a problem when black hats hacked computers, now if they ever get all their cans in a row, they could conceivably hack a country.

 

The door opens and the couple enter, if God is good they are in the middle of their years, but life is fragile. Rising I carefully shake their hands, carefully because with my frame I know that I can hurt by accident. There was a lot of trial and error, when one is 6'11” in your Junior year of High School and you're limbs are thick as a tree trunk you quickly learn you can hurt people even when you don't intend to. Perhaps that's why I ended up taking this line of work.

 

“Please have a seat,” I say in a voice that matches my stature,”we've had a breakthrough.”

 

I see the hope in their eyes as they sit, it gives me warmth in my heart when I can deliver good news. So often this is not the case.

 

“As you know, it has not been easy finding your daughter. I've been as careful as I can to not drain your funds as you have a very tight budget. My goal here has always been to provide Recovery and Restoration for Families at an affordable price.”

 

“Mr. Francis, how many times must we say that any cost is worth it,” Mr. Harris says softly.

 

“I understand that Jerry, this one has been a long one. Your daughter, bless her soul, is as averse to technology as I am in some ways. Her trail has been very hard to trace, very ephemeral. But I believe I've finally found her.”

 

Mrs. Harris lets out a small gasp and I can see her hand squeeze Jerry's.

 

“Where is she?”

 

“Canada, in a small town on Great Bear Island.”

 

The hurt is clear in their eyes, they cannot understand why she did not want them in her life. There is very little that I can to explain the possibilities so I choose instead to keep the conversation moving in a positive direction.

 

“In two days I will be flying to a small airfield just south of the border with Canada, there I will be picked up and moved through via official channels. I will then board a small private plane with professional “bush pilot” Will McKenzie who will fly me to a municipal airfield near the town in question. I will take public transport via local law enforcement into town and attempt to meet with your daughter and suggest a reconciliation. Did you bring the items I requested?”

 

Mr. Harris simply nods and places a dufflebag on the table, I don't bother looking inside for I do not wish them to suffer any further discomfort. Standing I give Mrs. Harris and hand up and then show them to the door.

 

“Thank you for helping us Mr. Francis,” Mrs. Harris said softly.

 

“It's the only thing that makes me happy,” I respond softly, “I will call you as soon as I have an update.”

 

<--- More to Come--->

 

[RossBondReturns]

“...N3035C Will this is Bear Island Tower do you copy.”

“Copy that, how's the weather?”

“Crystal clear out here. Hold on I'm getting a flash traffic alert.”

 

I glanced at Will, his brow was creased in concern and his fingers gripped and re-gripped the control yoke. I heard the crackle over my headset as well, finally the voice from the tower came back.

 

“...how far out are you?”

“'Bout 45 minutes, what's up?”

“The FAA just informed us of a NASA space weather update. There was a CME event...apparently-”

 

The rest of the communication was lost in a wash of rolling static and then a high pitched squeal came over the headphones. Winston pulled off his headphones as did Will moments later, ghostly green, yellow and light blue light coruscates across the flight panels. The panels winked off one after another, electrical fires spat momentarily and then the whole cockpit went dark.

 

There was no sound, there was no light, there were no engines.

 

“Make sure you're firmly buckled in Mr. Francis, unless I get things moving again we're going to do our best to glide in.”

“As you say McKenzie.”

 

This is absolutely unreal, was the thought that raced through Will McKenzies mind. His hands flew over all the usual knobs and dials that he would toggle on the occasion of an electrical failure, but there was absolutely no sign of life in his craft. And to top it all off he had never seen the sky light up like this, not once, not ever. The flashes of light where becoming brighter strobe-like in quality they lit the cockpit with a kaleidoscope of colors.

 

“Alright, I'm going to try and glide us in, there should be a highway to our right but I'm not seeing the lights.”

 

Winston looked out of the cockpit himself and through the flashing lights he couldn't make out any lights below at all. He glanced over towards Will.

 

“Can you land by available light?”

“I suppose I could but I cannot guarantee anything soft.”

“I'd settle for a nice slide across the snow.”

“As long as I can keep us gliding steady.”

 

Out of the colorful storm of light a massive shape loomed, it was much larger than Will's Cessna, he pushed the control yoke forward as the jetliner closed the space in a matter of moments.

 

Then metal tore metal, snow covered evergreens reached up from the drifts on the mountain below, and the whole thing went ass over teakettle.

 

To Be Continued...

[romerabr]

Nice read.

[RossBondReturns]

Thanks. I don't rush my writing projects so I will only update when it's ready.