Chapter 130: Flying
[Chapter 130: Flying]
Onboard the airplane, chaos had erupted. When passengers stopped fearing for their lives, three armed terrorists couldn't possibly take control of the entire cabin. After knocking the gun away, Ian rushed directly towards the gun.
At that moment, one of the attackers lunged for the gun as well. Just as he was about to grab it, the weapon suddenly tilted, avoided his palm, and hit the seat next to it under the pull of invisible thread. Just when he was about to grab it, two adult men rushed over and hugged the terrorist tightly.
Another terrorist rushed over, stabbing at one of the men. But in an instant, more passengers grabbed the attacker's arms, pinning him to the ground.
Ian made another dash for the gun, only to be yanked back by Sayyid who had grabbed his leg.
"Damn it!"
Sayyid was being battered by a throng of passengers, yet he held onto Ian's leg with a grip not to be broken.
In a moment of desperation, Ian unzipped his pants, letting them fall around his ankles. Now in white shorts, he surged forward. Suddenly, the plane tilted sharply, throwing everyone to one side and separating Ian from the gun once more.
"Get the gun!" he shouted.
But the cabin was in complete disarray, the weapon skidding uncontrollably across the floor. Realizing reaching it was going to be difficult, Ian pulled another thread of telekinesis. The gun bizarrely arched through the air, landing right in Ian's grasp. As the airplane tilted, the gun had flown in an improbable curve, yet in the pandemonium, no one had the time to question its movement.
He seized the gun in his hands. "Ah!" a man emitted a cry of pain, having been stabbed by one of the terrorists.
Ian turned and shot the terrorist in the head. A gunshot echoed, and the attacker collapsed to the ground.
"Let them go!" Ian yelled.
Everyone instantly released their grips. The terrorist yelled, "Great Allah!" as he charged forward.
Bam! Bam! Two more gunshots rang out as the last two terrorists fell lifelessly to the ground. With all three assailants down, a sigh of relief spread through the cabin.
...
"There are still two in the cockpit! They want to crash this thing! Help me stop them!" Ian commanded as he sprinted toward the cockpit.
Passing by Shawna, he asked, "Did you get that on tape?"
Shawna excitedly nodded, "Yes!"
Ian offered a brief smile before pushing against the cockpit door, only to find it was locked.
"Damn it, this door is sealed tight. I can't open it!"
"Can you open it, Shawna?"
Shawna shook her head, "No, it's a special door that only unlocks from the inside."
A passenger shouted, "Use a fire axe to break it down!"
There was indeed a fire axe onboard. A burly man opened a cabinet and swung the axe towards the cockpit door, but the metal door only bore faint scratches from the attempt.
...
Meanwhile, passengers were now aware of the airplane's rapid descent and cried out, "Oh my God! We're going down! We're going down! They want to crash into a building!"
Panic set in, as multiple passengers pleaded, "God, open the door! Don't do this!"
Ian took a deep breath and peered through the doorway with his X-ray vision. He saw that both pilots were already dead while two attackers have taken control of the cockpit. They seemed indifferent to the chaos outside.
With determination, Ian controlled one of the dead pilot's hands with the line, positioning it on the door handle before forcefully turning it. "I'm coming in!" he shouted, before delivering a kick that swung the door wide open.
...
The terrorists, stunned, turned to find Ian striding in. He shot each one directly in the forehead, bullets piercing through and hitting the cockpit wall, narrowly missing the control equipment.
As Ian dragged the lifeless bodies aside, passengers who followed into the cockpit were rendered speechless. "The pilots are dead! There's no one flying the plane!"
"Shut up!" Ian roared. "The attackers killed the pilots! Who's going to fly this plane?"
Everyone stood in disbelief. After calling out, he saw that no one stepped up, a chill running through him.
Just then, Shawna exclaimed, "I know a little bit about flying! My ex-boyfriend was a pilot, and he used to tell me all kinds of stuff about flying! I can contact Air Traffic Control. They'll guide me!"
Relief flooded over Ian. Even though he knew this was a long shot, they had no choice but to act. He took the camera from Shawna. "Someone has to know how to work this!"
One passenger stepped forward, "I can! I'm a photographer."
"Take it and film everything. Whether we live or die, we need a record of this moment. Even in the face of death, we won't show fear!"
The passenger nodded solemnly, determination etched on his face. "Okay!"
Instead of pointing the camera at Ian, the passenger turned to the other passengers in the cabin, all of whom were frightened yet calm. At that moment, fear, impulse, and anger became meaningless. Survival depended on Shawna now.
"Everyone, return to your seats and buckle up!" Ian shouted. The passengers complied as he pulled Shawna into the cockpit, followed closely by the makeshift cameraman.
...
Shani charged forward, "Boss, what can I do to help?"
Ian glanced at Shani, "You're fired."
Shani looked shocked.
"I need a brave assistant, not a pretty face."
...
With that, Ian returned to the co-pilot's seat. Shawna had begun contacting Air Traffic Control, and urgent calls came through confirming that two planes had crashed into the Twin Towers, causing the buildings to collapse.
Once aware of Flight 77's situation, Air Traffic Control quickly found an experienced pilot to guide Shawna on how to fly the plane.
"There's a flight manual in the cabinet to your left; you need someone to help you read it."
Ian dashed over and grabbed the manual. "I'm Ian Carr. I'm now Shawna's co-pilot. Please tell us how to safely land this plane."
Air Traffic Control gasped, "Ian Carr? From Carr Media?"
"Yes," Ian replied, sitting in the co-pilot seat.
"Well, you're having a rough day."
"I've always got good luck."
"Are you sure you heard me clearly?"
Without delay, Air Traffic Control said, "Alright, listen carefully. Turn to page four of the manual. You first need to know how to read the instruments. Start with the fuel levels, altitude..."
Shawna quickly responded, "Altitude five thousand feet, fuel is sufficient. We just took off twenty minutes ago."
Having some knowledge helped at least a bit with the instruments.
Air Traffic Control continued, "Good, remember, flying in the air generally has fewer problems. The real risks come during takeoff and landing. Shawna, you need to familiarize yourself with all the instruments quickly, and then follow my instructions to land."
Shawna sounded confused, "Are we not landing now?"
"You need time to adjust; take advantage of the time you have!"
"God bless!" Shawna murmured softly.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.